The predictions surrounding the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night revolved around high tension and close-cut finishes. Everyone knew better than to expect the contest to not go all the way green to the finish line in a high-stakes regular-season finale.
But the worst dreams of every driver and sports spectator came true when the No. 41 Ford Mustang flipped numerous times in the air and crashed, spewing fire. The sight left the entirety of the racing world speechless, and for a few immediate seconds after the crash, Ryan Preece gave his crew and Tony Stewart a bigger scare.
The shocking revelation of Ryan Preece’s radio message
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With only 5 laps remaining in the 160-lap race, Ryan Preece was shooting one last try at the win that would lock him into the playoffs when he was bumped from behind. The collision that followed lifted his car through the air and caused it to barrel roll multiple times before bringing it to a devastating halt in the grass.
Following the end of the race, the driver’s in-car radio exchange came to light, in which we can hear his crew members’ attempts to garner a response from him, unsuccessfully.
Within mere seconds of the initial bump, Ryan’s radio crackled to life. “Talk to me if you can. You got me, bud?”, a crew member can be heard pleading. Met with total silence, the message was repeated: “Talk to me, buddy”. Precious seconds ticking by, one of the crew members asked, shaken, “I haven’t heard anything. Have you heard him?”
After receiving a negative response, they try to get a response from Ryan again. Once more, as silence follows, the team confirms that he is knocked out.
Watch More: Tony Stewart’s Team Under Scrutiny After Terrible Season With Ford
The team’s disbelief and frustration were evident from their words, as one crew member said, “So much staying on the f***ing ground! We are gonna kill somebody at one of these places!”
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The events that led to the Ryan Preece crash at Daytona
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In the final laps at the International Speedway, Tony Stewart’s driver was going for the win in his last opportunity to get into the final 16. Racing in the outside lane, Ryan Preece got bumped by the No. 43 Camaro of Erik Jones. His Ford Mustang collided with teammate Chase Briscoe‘s car before it curved sharply through the oncoming traffic and veered into the grass.
Turbulence hit the speeding car and lifted it off the road for a few seconds before it hit the floor. The hard hit then flipped the car into a series of terrifying rolls. Thrown into the air multiple times owing to hard contact with the floor, the car came to a halt an excruciating 8 seconds after causing contact. Despite his initial radio silence, Ryan was able to gain consciousness and exit the car unharmed.
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Read More: Ryan Preece Relieves NASCAR World With Positive Update After Navigating Forgotten Horror at Daytona
Flames appeared on the wrecked car briefly, but they were soon put out. Reports soon emerged that the driver was taken to a local hospital, but we have yet to receive further updates on his condition at this point. Let’s pray that the 32-year-old Stewart Haas driver leaves unscathed from this terrible occurrence.