Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with Ryan Preece, driver of the RFK Racing 60 Cup car, on this episode of the Download. They talk about Ryan's authentic path to the Cup Series, his 2025 race for the Playoffs, what it's like to flip in a car, and much more.

After growing up in a racing family in Connecticut, Ryan ventured into his racing career through quarter midgets and micro sprints. After experiencing early success, he took a chance driving a tour-type modified when he was 14 years old. He immediately took to the car, and his father soon acquired a 1993 Troyer chassis. Since the minimum racing age in Connecticut was 16, Ryan explains he and his father began traveling to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida to get more seat time and experience. This time and effort paid off, and in 2008, Ryan began winning high-profile modified races, including the famed NASCAR Whelen Modified event at Martinsville.

Ryan would go on to win the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship, and through longtime car owner Tommy Baldwin, he began getting opportunities in the Xfinity and Cup series. He recalls a time he had to raise a large amount of money to have the opportunity to drive some select races for Joe Gibbs in Xfinity, which led to him winning at Iowa in 2017, which he considers to be a life-changing moment. In 2019, Kevin Harvick would help Ryan find a full-time Cup opportunity with JTG Daugherty Racing, replacing AJ Allmendinger. When the ride would shut down at the end of the 2021 season, Ryan again bet on himself and returned to the Trucks and Xfinity ranks, winning races to generate more opportunities in the upper ranks. This came at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023, driving the 41 Cup ride. When SHR ceased operation after the 2024 season, Ryan received a call from Brad Keselowski about running a third car at RFK Racing, where he has consistently impressed throughout the 2025 season.

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Ryan Preece

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