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ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN – JULY 04: Ryan Preece, driver of the #37 Maxwell House/Kroger Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip at Road America on July 04, 2021 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN – JULY 04: Ryan Preece, driver of the #37 Maxwell House/Kroger Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip at Road America on July 04, 2021 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
When JTG Daugherty Racing downsized to one car, they had to choose between Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Ryan Preece. In the end, they elected to stick with Stenhouse Jr in the #47 car. As a result, it left poor old Ryan Preece on the lurch and going job-hunting. Now, the newest reports have confirmed that the Stewart-Haas Racing team has thrown Preece a lifeline.
The SHR team is fielding an unchanged line-up of Kevin Harvick, Chase Briscoe, Aric Almirola, and Cole Custer. However, the outfit has recruited Ryan Preece as a reserve driver. As per reports, his duties include being the backup driver for the four SHR drivers, as well as the simulator driver.
The best part is that he will get some race time in the 2022 season, courtesy two Cup races at Dover and Charlotte. In addition to that, he will compete in three Xfinity races at Richmond, Charlotte, and Nashville. Finally, he will race in seven Truck races at Las Vegas, Atlanta, Darlington, Texas, Nash, Pocono, and Kansas.
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Who will Ryan Preece link up with for 2022?
The driver said, “This is a unique setup, but I feel like it provides me with the best opportunity to win races and contribute to a championship-caliber team while expanding my racing experience. I’m a racer, and Stewart-Haas Racing is a team built by racers. They measure success by wins. Whether I’m in the simulator, in one of their cars, or in a Ford Mustang or Ford F-150 for another team, I’m here to help SHR and Ford win.”
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LEBANON, TENNESSEE – JUNE 18: Ryan Preece, driver of the #17 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 18, 2021 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
In the Truck Series, Preece will race for David Gilliland Racing in the #17 truck. He will share driving duties with Taylor Gray and an unconfirmed driver. In other words, David Gilliland Racing is fielding three trucks, with Tanner Gray and Hailie Deegan in the other two trucks. Meanwhile, Preece’s Cup and Xfinity teams are unconfirmed, but they will likely be SHR-affiliated teams. So it is possible that Ryan Preece could head to BJ McLeod or Rick Ware Racing.
READ MORE: JTG Daugherty Racing to Compete in the 2022 Season With Just One Car
