The 2025 edition of the Daytona 500 is now under wraps after William Byron survived a series of crashes to win the race for the second time in as many years. While Byron was able to replicate his outing from last year, RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece also saw a repeat of his race from 2023 — an ugly crash that put him in danger.
With fewer than five laps to go in the race, Christopher Bell was on the receiving end of a big shove from Cole Custer. However, the biggest victim was Preece, who got caught in the crossfire, going airborne before turning over and rolling on the racetrack.
While many saw flashbacks of the 2023 race, only one thing was. going through the mind of the No. 60 Ford driver.
All Ryan Preece Could Think About Was His Daughter
Spinning around in the air, skidding through the track on the car’s roof, and eventually going on to hit the side wall. Amid all the chaos, Preece had no one but his daughter going through his mind.
After being released from the care center, the 34-year-old went on to say he didn’t know if it was the diffuser or not that made the cars act like plywood on a windy day. He added, “But when the car took off like that, it got real quiet. All I thought about was my daughter. So, I’m lucky to walk away.”
However, the RFK Racing driver added that while he was lucky to walk away, the sport is getting “really close to somebody not being able to.”
Reacting to the crash as it happened, the FOX Sports broadcast booth could only utter the words, “I’ve never seen a car do that,” further highlighting the severity of the incident.
Addressing the same, Preece, talking as a father and a racer, told the media that he feels the community has been “beating on a door, hoping for a different result.” He added that they know where the problem lies at superspeedways, but he did not want to be an example for the future.
With a two-year-old daughter back home, the Connecticut native hopes NASCAR evolves into a safer sport.
