Ryan Preece had yet another terrifying moment at Daytona, going airborne in a dramatic crash. But instead of dwelling on the incident, he decided to poke fun at himself in a way that had NASCAR fans buzzing.
Days after the wreck, Preece made a hilarious change to his social media profile that perfectly captured the moment.
Ryan Preece’s Wild Ride at Daytona
During the Daytona 500, Preece’s No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was involved in a frightening multi-car wreck. Christopher Bell’s car lost control after being hit by Cole Custer, made contact with Preece’s right side, causing his Ford to lift off the ground.
The front two wheels of Preece’s car stayed airborne for a solid three seconds before flipping, hitting the wall, and slamming back down. After the race, he admitted it was a terrifying experience.
“When the car took off like that, and it got real quiet, all I thought about was my daughter. So, I’m lucky to walk away,” Preece said.
The impact of the crash was brutal, but he was lucky to escape without major injuries. Preece has since raised concerns over NASCAR’s safety measures, questioning why cars continue to go airborne in superspeedway races and urged NASCAR to look into more ways to prevent these dangerous incidents, especially since he’s now been involved in two major airborne wrecks in a short period.
A NASA-Worthy Social Media Move by Preece
Rather than letting the wreck bring him down, Preece decided to have some fun with it. He changed his profile picture to a photoshopped image of himself in a NASA astronaut suit. The move quickly went viral, with fans loving his ability to turn this situation into something humorous.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/kMZcmSjgWP
— Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece_) February 17, 2025
Though the light-hearted moment brought laughs, the bigger issue remains. How can NASCAR prevent these airborne crashes from happening?
Preece hopes that the sport takes serious steps on top of the ones they have already to improve safety.
Despite his rough luck at Daytona, Preece’s ability to stay positive and engage with fans has made him one of the most talked-about drivers of the week. Whether or not his luck changes on the track, one thing is certain — Preece knows how to make the best out of a tough situation.
