Editor’s note: This is the 13th in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.
Driver: Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Crew chief: Derrick Finley
Final 2025 ranking: 18th
Key stats: 0 wins, 3 top fives, 14 top 10s, 133 laps led
How 2025 ended: Preece stayed in contention for a playoff spot throughout the entire regular season before ultimately falling 66 points short of the final position. He and RFK Racing teammate Chris Buescher were the first two drivers out as the organization missed the postseason altogether. Despite that, Preece finished the 2025 season strong, recording seven top 15s in the final 10 races, including top 10s in four of the last five.
Best race: Finishing fourth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the mid-summer crown jewel wasn’t Preece’s best finish, but it was probably his best race. He overcame a 23rd-place starting position to lead 12 laps, positioning himself in contention for a win if the leaders ran out of fuel. Unfortunately for him, Bubba Wallace took the checkered flag on fumes without an additional rain shower to re-rack the field for another NASCAR Overtime attempt. With playoff implications and prestige on the line, the 35-year-old nearly pulled off a career-altering victory.
RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | Ryan Preece driver page
Other season highlights: Preece’s best finish of the season came early in the year at Las Vegas, gambling on strategy late to collect a third-place result that began a string of three consecutive top 10s. His strong Indy run was the first of back-to-back top fives, finishing fifth a week later at Iowa. Additionally, top 10s at intermediate tracks, Kansas and Charlotte, in the spring, and a seventh in the tight Chicago Street Course confines count for some of his strongest runs in 2025. Statistically, Preece’s strongest race came at Talladega in April, scoring the best Driver Rating over 500 miles of racing, but was disqualified after taking the checkered flag second.
Stat to know: With an average finish of 15.7, 2025 was Preece’s best Cup Series season by a long shot. His previous best was 2023, compiling an average finish of 20.8 in his first of two seasons with now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing.
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Quotable: “So a change in mindset was probably a big piece of that, as well as coming over to RFK and seeing what Brad’s been able to help build and continue to build back up of what we can be … We’re all frustrated we didn’t make the playoffs, but there’s a ton of potential between all three of us, and I’m excited for that. For me, it was probably a change in mindset as well as a great group of people that came together and are working on accomplishing the goal.” — Preece said at Phoenix Raceway before the season finale, recapping his first RFK Racing campaign.
Looking ahead: Preece will return to the No. 60 Ford for his second season in 2026 with postseason aspirations. He’s never made the playoffs in six full-time Cup bouts, and enters the year as a favorite to score his first victory. If Preece can find a bit more consistency, the New Englander is primed for a breakout season.