Ryan Preece (No. 60) racing Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88) during the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)
RIDGEWAY, Va. — When thinking of Ryan Preece, most people look at his success on short tracks throughout his racing career. This weekend at Martinsville Speedway was no exception as he finished in the seventh position in the Cook Out 400.
Following a tough qualifying effort of 21st on Saturday, Preece started slow in Stage 1 before staying out following a caution on Lap 71 when RFK Racing teammate Chris Buescher spun out on the front straightaway. This gifted Preece much-needed track position and he was able to score four stage points, finishing the stage in seventh.
Although staying out helped Preece earn stage points, it also put him back in the pack for the start of Stage 2, as most of the other lead-lap cars pitted before the stage yellow and flipped the stage. This resulted in a tough stage for Preece, but towards the end of the race in the final stage, his No. 60 Ford Mustang began to come to life.
Once the final stage was able to see a green flag run, Preece began working his way up through the running order and was able to finish in the seventh position.
Ryan Preece (No. 60) racing in between Cole Custer (No. 41) and Austin Cindric (No. 2) in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)
“I didn’t expect that one,” Preece said post-race. “Honestly, it all started with me messing up in qualifying and putting us back there. Ultimately, we got some great stage points and some great calls and great adjustments on the box and we got this Fastenal Ford Mustang where it needed to be.”
After the start of the race, Preece and his team were able to get his No. 60 car dialed in for the final run with the help of some necessary adjustments. He mentioned how some drivers and teams started off strong and faded as the race went on and how others came to life as the race went on, a group he was happy to be a part of.
“Honestly, they made the right adjustment when it mattered,” he said. “There are some guys that hit it early and then they fell off. For us, we were at our best there at the end, so I’m just proud of everybody.”
The seventh-place run is also the third consecutive top 10 finish for Preece in 2025 and he is now only two away from tying his career high of five, which was set last season. He also jumped up to 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings as well.
Ryan Preece (No. 60) racing on the inside of Erik Jones (No. 43) at Martinsville Speedway. (Photo: Sydney Redden | The Podium Finish)
“We’re getting on a roll,” said Preece. “At first, this is a place I wanted to take advantage of for points because I felt like Martinsville (Speedway) is in my wheelhouse, so I’m happy we did. I hate talking about points, but every bit matters.”
Even with the good result and third straight finish inside the top 10, Preece acknowledged that there is still some work to be done to get his No. 60 team to where they ultimately want to be. He will take the momentum as the series heads to Darlington Raceway for Race No. 8 of the 2025 season.
“We’ve got some work to do to be able to drive through like some other cars do, but I think we’ve got some good ideas and obviously a little luck went our way today,” Preece said. “I’m proud of everybody on this Fastenal Ford Mustang and everybody at RFK. We’ve just got to keep working and keep grinding.”
