SHR adds Ryan Preece as its 2022 'reserve driver' in NASCAR
Ryan Preece does not have a fulltime NASCAR ride for the 2022 season, but he does have a new home.
Preece, who most recently competed in the Cup Series with JTG Daugherty Racing, has been hired by the Stewart-Haas Racing organization as its ‘reserve driver’ this season.
The 31-year-old native of Berlin, Conn., will perform simulator work for the organization while running a mix of races across each of NASCAR’s top-three series – Cup, Xfinity and Trucks.
Preece will be a Ford Performance driver in each series, and he will be the default driver if any of SHR’s fulltime drivers are unable to compete due to COVID-19 or any other unforeseen circumstance throughout the season.
“Ryan is a versatile wheelman with a racer’s mentality who fits extremely well within our culture at Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Greg Zipadelli, SHR’s vice president of competition. “Between the amount of testing and development work we’re doing with the NextGen car this year, his added insights and time in the simulator will make us better by allowing us to learn faster.
“Plus, we’re still dealing with COVID. As much as we all want it to be over, it’s not. We needed a more robust plan in the event COVID sidelines one of our drivers. We have that now with Ryan.”
Preece is scheduled right now to run a total of 12 races this year – two in Cup, three in Xfinity and seven in Truck. His Cup and Xfinity Series races will be in coordination with SHR and its technical alliance partners. His Truck Series starts will come with David Gilliland Racing.
“This is a unique setup, but I feel like it provides me with the best opportunity to win races and contribute to a championship-caliber team while expanding my racing experience,” said Preece. I’m a racer, and Stewart-Haas Racing is a team built by racers. They measure success by wins.
“Whether I’m in the simulator, in one of their cars, or in a Ford Mustang or Ford F-150 for another team, I’m here to help SHR and Ford win.”
Preece’s two Cup Series races will be May 1 at Dover, Del., and May 29 at Charlotte. His three Xfinity Series races will be April 2 at Richmond, Va., May 28 at Charlotte and June 25 at Nashville, Tenn.
His seven Truck Series races are March 4 at Las Vegas; March 19 at Atlanta; May 6 at Darlington, S.C.; May 20 at Texas; June 24 at Nashville; July 23 at Pocono; and Sept. 9 at Kansas.
Preece made two Truck starts last year, winning in his series debut June 18 at Nashville. He is a two-time Xfinity Series winner, mostly recently in the 2018 season at Bristol, Tenn.
Preece is veteran of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He won the series championship in 2013 and has 25 career victories, three of which came last year.
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Mobil 1
Photo by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Images
Related video
SHR names new crew chief for NASCAR Cup driver Aric Almirola
Brad Moran promoted to NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director
How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger
Formula 1 broadcasting has undergone many major advancements in the past decade in a push to better inform fans and enrich their viewing experience.
Hazelwood reflects on maiden Gen3 test
Todd Hazelwood has walked away from a highly-scrutinised first team Gen3 test excited by the latest generation of Supercars hardware.
What’s going on with Nissan and Kiyoto Fujinami?
Nissan may have made no changes to its GT500 driver roster for the 2023 SUPER GT season, but still caused a surprise by making no mention of two-time GT300 champion Kiyoto Fujinami in its recent announcement.
First Gen3 Supercar hits the track
The first Gen3 Supercar outside of the prototypes has officially turned its first laps at Winton Motor Raceway.
The ex-F1 driver taking on NASCAR with a new team
Saddled with uncompetitive Minardi machinery, Tarso Marques didn't manage to score points in his three partial seasons of Formula 1. But now the Brazilian has the chance to show what he can do in NASCAR, and explains the story of his comeback with new Cup Series entrant Team Stange
The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car
NASCAR’s new stock car generation is encouraging an influx of fresh blood into its top tier. But there are concerns that parts are in short supply as the entire paddock tries to build up stocks at the same time
How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style
After holding his nerve and hip-checking his teammate on the run to the line, Austin Cindric made a perfect start to life as a full-timer in the NASCAR Cup Series by winning the Daytona 500. Here's how the Penske Ford man emerged first across the line in the first points-scoring race for the much-anticipated Next Generation cars
Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season
There are plenty of uncertainties ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season as an all-new fleet of cars take to the track for the first time. Ahead of this weekend's Daytona 500, our experts explain what you need to know
How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of Next Gen arrival
The NASCAR Cup kicks off with the Daytona 500 this weekend, but a major engine overhaul and a subsequent mountain of work has been required to be ready for the arrival of the Next Gen cars.
How Larson took the long way round to NASCAR Cup glory
From villain to hero, Kyle Larson had to reach his lifelong goal the hard way and go through a very public shaming after a ban for using a racial slur, but his talents shone long before his name grabbed the headlines...
How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022
It’s not just Formula 1 that’s set for upheaval in 2022, as the NASCAR Cup series adopts its Next Gen cars that will cast any in-built advantages aside and require teams to adopt a totally new way of operating. Far more than just a change of machinery, the new cars amount to a shift in NASCAR's core philosophy
Why Bubba Wallace’s Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR
Bubba Wallace claimed his maiden NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega on Monday to become the first Black victor in the category since Wendell Scott in 1963. Both Wallace and Scott had faced obstacles and racism in their paths to their breakthrough wins, and NASCAR is trying to put it right with its range of diversity programmes
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.