Ryan Preece Not Slowing Down, Preparing for Snowball Derby in Offseason

While most in the NASCAR garage are looking forward to the offseason to take a well-earned break, Ryan Preece is focused on his next task.

Preece, who cut his teeth in the short track ranks and is a former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, has been working on a new Super Late Model he intends to debut during the 58th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway on December 4-7.

The project has taken longer than usual for Preece, but he's eager to put the finishing touches on it once the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race concludes the 2025 season at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 2.

“I’m excited. I actually just fired it up last week before Martinsville," said Preece in Phoenix on Saturday. "For me, having our son and all the things throughout the year it has taken me [time]. Usually, when I get a race car, I’ll put it together in three or four weeks. I just constantly think about it and thrash on it.

"This one, I picked the chassis and the body up in mid-December, and it took all the way until the middle of September or October to get it prepared to where it could be fired. Once the season is over, I’m ready to be in my race shop and finishing setting up, getting ready to go test down there in two or three weeks."

Preece is a racer at heart, and that won't end with Sunday's checkered flag at Phoenix. This year alone, the Connecticut native has raced Modifieds at tracks such as Bowman Gray Stadium, New Smyrna Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Thompson Speedway and Stafford Speedway.

The trip to Stafford included a win in the Cleetus McFarland New England 900, where Preece battled former NASCAR Cup Series veteran Greg Biffle for the victory.

“As a race car driver, I think you guys follow along, you see some, they like to play golf or do different things away from racing," said Preece. "Racing is my golf game. Racing a Modified, racing a Super Late Model, it doesn’t matter what it is, where it is. It’s something I enjoy doing, as well as working on the race cars and building them. I enjoy it."

While Preece is best known for his exploits in Modifieds, he is no stranger to the Snowball Derby. He has made three previous starts in the event, most recently in 2023. He finished fourth in the race, won that year by Chandler Smith.

However, there will be changes for Preece at this year's Derby, and even he is uncertain how that will impact his performance.

“How the Snowball Derby’s going to go, I’m not entirely sure yet," admitted Preece. In the past, I’ve had Chris Gabehart help me as the crew chief. He’s a really great Super Late Model driver and crew chief as well.

“I’m planning on going down with a group of my friends and people that I trust and like racing with. I’m going to make the best calls on my race car to make it drive good.”

The Snowball Derby takes the green flag on Sunday, December 7 at 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET.

-Photo credit: John K. Harrelson/NKP for Ford Racing