Ryan Preece: bad luck or lack of skills?

JJ_14

JJ_14

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This season thus far, Ryan Preece has an average finish of 27. That's pretty abysmal, considering many thought he'd be an upgrade over Custer.

I've defended Preece on different NASCAR stream chats, but it seems there are very few who think he'll turn it around. Many believe he simply isn't good, & quickly disregard my attempts at defending him.

I truly believe he's better than what the stats show, as evidenced by him having 3 DNF's via wrecks. None of those have been of his own doing.

You don't have to go too far, at COTA he had made it to the top 15 before being taken out. He called his competition "a bunch of hacks" on Twitter, which leads me to believe that there's some frustration.

His teammates in Briscoe & Almirola haven't fared too well thus far either. It wasn't long ago that SHR was at the top of the world in both Cup & xFinity. To say they've fallen off a cliff is an understatement.
 
Not only is SHR struggling, but it seems Ford as a whole is. You can't be down on him for running bad when no one in that camp is setting the world on fire

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5 Fords in the top 10 they aren't doing that badly.
Harvick is the only SHR in the top 10 and he is 4th. Preece and Almirola are 28th and 29th, Briscoe 23rd. Nothing to brag about from the three.
 
Bad luck. Getting involved in wrecks and mechanical issues. Some stuff can absolutely be avoided. Could've gotten a top 10 at COTA but chose to restart one row further up by taking the outside. Got cleaned out by the mayhem back there. Would've liked to see him take the inside in that scenario.

I have seen him race in person more than anyone on this board and I can assure you the talent is there. How soon we forget he led dozens of laps at the Clash in his first SHR start until...bad luck. Don't take my word for it...take Tony Stewart's word for signing a 30yo to his team after being out of the cup series for a year.
 
I think Ryan is gonna do well this weekend and then at Martinsville in a few weeks. Also think he might be a factor at Bristol dirt, he’s had some bad luck to start this year as well
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
I think Ryan is gonna do well this weekend and then at Martinsville in a few weeks. Also think he might be a factor at Bristol dirt, he’s had some bad luck to start this year as well
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I think Preece can be a treat to win races this year. Larson has had bad luck as well. I'm higher on Preece than most though.
 
JJ_14 said:
I think Preece can be a treat to win races this year. Larson has had bad luck as well. I'm higher on Preece than most though.
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I think that's a stretch. His stats aren't making me believe that he'll be a threat to win. I'm not a fan of talking down on drivers as they all have to have some sort of skill and talent, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are. However, I look at him as a mid pack driver with a very slim chance of winning this year. Not saying it wont happen. I just don't see it being very possible.
 
I'm not sure about Ryan. He was a championship contender in Modifieds and had an OK rookie season in Xfinity considering the equipment.
Then he won in his second start with JGR in Xfinity and people said he was a future Cup champion but he hasn't really had a lot of noteworthy results since.
I think he's better than the 29th place in the standings shows but right now I don't see him as a driver who will be able to compete for wins at a regular basis.
2024 is gonna be a tough year for SHR.
 
Here's another way to look at it. The guy he replaced in Custer is currently being outrun by Riley Herbst in the Xfintity series. So I can't in no way believe Custer was better to leave in the #41
 
donthaveanickname said:
I'm not sure about Ryan. He was a championship contender in Modifieds and had an OK rookie season in Xfinity considering the equipment.
Then he won in his second start with JGR in Xfinity and people said he was a future Cup champion but he hasn't really had a lot of noteworthy results since.
I think he's better than the 29th place in the standings shows but right now I don't see him as a driver who will be able to compete for wins at a regular basis.
2024 is gonna be a tough year for SHR.
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Preece can win at the top level if you give him the car to do it. SHR as a whole is not running up to speed for whatever reason and hopefully they can right the ship by the next time we revisit the tracks with 2 races.
 
Preece hasn't proved himself in cup and until he does he's a ?. He had better be glad his name isn't Hailie Deegan :D

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Speedbowl14 said:
Bad luck. Getting involved in wrecks and mechanical issues. Some stuff can absolutely be avoided. Could've gotten a top 10 at COTA but chose to restart one row further up by taking the outside. Got cleaned out by the mayhem back there. Would've liked to see him take the inside in that scenario.

I have seen him race in person more than anyone on this board and I can assure you the talent is there. How soon we forget he led dozens of laps at the Clash in his first SHR start until...bad luck. Don't take my word for it...take Tony Stewart's word for signing a 30yo to his team after being out of the cup series for a year.
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It's not how you start, it's how you finish (literally). Preece has time to turn it around. SHR just needs to find some speed. Ford as a whole is doing pretty good, so there is hope for Preece & his teammates.
 
Efisher131 said:
You guys need to remember we’ve had 2 plate races and a smash fest road course race. Let’s get another 6 races down the road before we judge anyone
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He finished 12th at Phoenix. I thought it was a very impressive run. It might be a sign of things to come.
 
Efisher131 said:
You guys need to remember we’ve had 2 plate races and a smash fest road course race. Let’s get another 6 races down the road before we judge anyone
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Good point. It is a pretty hectic way to start a season track-wise. I think a good measure of how he’s adjusting will come, say, after the Coca-Cola 600. A little less diversity in track-type as well as racetracks that have been around forever, or at least relatively longer, are coming up and he’s got experience at them all.

Daytona - enough said.
Atlanta - reconfigured to an oddball restrictor-plate mile and a halfer.
COTA - a lot of drivers found themselves shuffled up and down in the closing laps.
 
i dont think the preece speculation dies here
 
True that. Preece has had dismal results in Cup cars.

Hopefully, SHR will find a way to put good combinations under him and his team mates going forward.
 
StandOnIt said:
Better work hard at it. Preece is ranked 29th, Deegan is 18th. lol.
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I bet she's killing those Tricon pos race trucks she used to drive, I bet all of her teammates envy her position...............no wait
 
Spotter22 said:
I bet she's killing those Tricon pos race trucks she used to drive, I bet all of her teammates envy her position...............no wait
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Wait? lol. She is having her best year so far...now your buddy Preece? That's a different story
 
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