Ryan Preece hopes for a solution to airborne wrecks "sooner than later"
As part of a longer, exclusive interview with RFK Racing's Ryan Preece, Motorsport.com wanted to get his thoughts on the ever-present threat of airborne accidents in NASCAR. Unfortunately, he has some first-hand experience with that, especially with the current generation of car.
Preece barrel-rolled in a terrifying accident at Daytona in 2023 in a violent airborne crash that lasted eight seconds. Despite suffering some bloodshot eyes, he was able to walk away from the wreckage. NASCAR and Daytona reacted quickly, removing grass from the backstretch at the famed speedway as they believed it played a role in the severity of the incident.
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Unfortunately, it happened to Preece once again late in the 2025 Daytona 500. While running in the middle of the pack, he was unable to avoid a spinning Christopher Bell, who suddenly crossed his path. The impact sent Preece's car upwards, performing a bizarre wheelie down the backstretch before going completely over at the entrance of Turn 3.
Preece
Preece
James Gilbert / Getty Images
James Gilbert / Getty Images
Preece continued, saying, "I understand the risks. We all understand the risks. If you make a bad decision, there's repercussions, but there's also — when you're in those types of situations where you're almost helpless, even based off of a decision that you didn't necessarily make, you don't want to see that. Racing is dangerous and I feel like a lot of fans say that and it's easy to say, but I think we all need to remember that there's a person inside that race car so you don't want to see them get hurt because of a situation somebody else made."
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You can see the read of the rest of Motorsport.com's exclusive interview on Friday where Preece discusses his strong start with RFK, moments of doubt in his career, expectations for Talladega, and his unique mindset as he chases his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory.
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Fox News
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17 minutes ago
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29 minutes ago
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Fans look on — and record on their phones — as Jon Rahm tees off from the 15th tee during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club. () (Warren Little via Getty Images) The players are at least partially on board. Last year at Augusta, Jordan Spieth, in his typically Spiethian way, wandered over, under, around and through the topic of cell phones at the Masters. On one hand, he understood that cell phones — both the ability to remain connected and the ability to share moments from the golf course — help grow the game exponentially. But he landed on the side of 'no phones,' at least for one week. "What's really cool about it is you just feel that everyone's very, very present,' he said. 'They're not focused on if they got the right shot that they're sending.' Advertisement That's exactly it. Everyone with a cell phone at a major spends a not-insignificant amount of time making sure that people know they're at a major … either through direct contact or through the judicious application of Jealous…? photos and video on Instagram or TikTok. In their rush to remain connected with the outside world, they completely miss out on the transcendence of engaging with a golf tournament … which might just be the most spiritual of all sporting events. An afternoon walking a beautiful golf course will do wonders for your soul … and will strengthen the bond of whoever's lucky enough to walk with you. There's another element of the gallery that the cell phones affect: applause. 'The art of clapping is gone,' Tiger Woods said several years ago . 'Everyone's holding a cell phone,' On Wednesday at Oakmont, Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler walked up the 18th as a hundred phones tracked their every movement. Will any of those videos ever get watched again? Doubtful. 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Of course, some people miss the point entirely. Soon after chatting with Hannah and Ben, I ended up walking behind a guy who was FaceTiming and describing to the poor unfortunate soul on the other end of the call exactly how he was going to play the 18th hole, and what a magnificent score he would surely record on his card. If you are instinctively cringing and wanting to throw this cat's phone onto the highway that runs through Oakmont, well, that is the proper reaction. Make the right call, majors. Join your azalea-and-pimento-laden brethren. Get rid of cell phones and let people reconnect with the game, each other and themselves. It's the right thing to do, and we'll be sure to thank you … once we get back to our phones.
