Ryan Preece, whose name has become almost synonymous with nerve-wracking wrecks at Daytona International Speedway, shared his horrifying experience after his most recent crash. On Sunday, Feb. 16, Preece, in an eerie repetition of history, met with a very similar crash as he did in 2023.
Although he escaped going to the hospital this time, the crash was still brutal, causing the car to soar through the air and flip over. Preece, making his debut for RFK Racing, said that during the crash, he wasn’t only concerned for his own safety but also the fans. He did not want the car to go over the fence and hurt any spectators.
Ryan Preece Insists That 2025 Daytona Crash Was Worse Than 2023’s
This incident was a stark reminder of the harrowing crash that Preece was involved in during the 2023 Daytona 500, where his car flipped numerous times before ending up in flames, and he had to spend the night in the hospital.
Preece said, “I thought this one was worse, believe it or not…When the car left the ground, it got really, really quiet, and I honestly thought I was going over the fence. I knew the car was off the ground, and if you see me, I hit the brakes, like, no I want to get off this ride. You can have my ticket, I don’t want this. I just want to get off.”
He added, “When I hit him, it was like an explosion. Like a bomb went off in the right front. The other one (2023 Daytona), there was spinning and everything happening really quickly and it just felt forever. This one, I don’t know, it was just different…You’re thinking you’re going to go over the fence. I thought I was going to go somewhere else.”
So… which Daytona wreck was worse for Ryan? 😧 pic.twitter.com/SHrvHnhqn8
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) February 20, 2025
Since the crash, attention has shifted to the Next-Gen car’s troubling tendency to flip over at the slightest contact. Preece added, “The car lifting off like that felt worse than Daytona in ’23. I don’t think a head-on impact should have sent the car airborne.”
