NASCAR star explains reversing over Daytona 500 | Sports News

As the checkered flag waved over the 68th working of the Daytona 500, Tyler Reddick was already celebrating his dramatic victory. Behind him, one other NASCAR second quietly stole the highlight after Ryan Preece crossed the end line in reverse.

When requested concerning the choice to complete the NASCAR race backward, Preece’s reply was easy. “Just wanted to finish the race,” he later posted on X. 

Reporters offered a clip from pit highway, writing that Preece stated he “wasn’t coming all the way down here to not see the checkered.” The remark shortly racked up over 100,000 views as followers tried to course of what that they had simply seen.

Preece finally positioned twenty fifth, which was disappointing contemplating his velocity all through the week. He led last apply on Saturday with a lap at 192.819 mph, ended ninth in his Duel race, and secured eighth in Stage 1 of the 500.

Preece began the race from nineteenth place and handed drivers together with Ryan Blaney, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Chase Briscoe, who began at No. 2 on the grid. Blaney and Van Gisbergen had been concerned within the lap 124 crash that concerned 20 vehicles within the area.

After three Toyotas pitted with 13 laps remaining, Preece additionally made a pit stop, which finally ended his possibilities of successful. He additionally refueled during a lap 89 warning. Fuel strategy and chaos dictated the result, and Haas Factory Team driver Cole Custer ran out of fuel on the identical lap that Preece pitted for fuel.

Several drivers pursued aggressive fuel-saving methods, generally falling behind within the area earlier than making beneficial properties in site visitors. The No. 60 vehicle superior from thirty seventh to twenty sixth place in simply half a lap during one phase, incomes three championship factors in Stage 1, and accumulating a complete of 15 factors all through the race.

When Reddick moved from twenty sixth to steer on the ultimate lap and received after 66 lead adjustments amongst 26 drivers, Preece was left outdoors the late-race motion. He had entered the race with momentum from practically two weeks earlier, successful the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium for his first Cup-level victory.

Preece’s RFK Racing teammates, Keselowski and Chris Buescher, completed fifth and seventh, respectively. Keselowski acquired reward for his aggressive racing fashion, whereas followers criticized the Toyota trio of Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, and Corey Heim.

The followers accused them of blocking the sphere three-wide after a group pit stop by the lead-lap vehicles on lap 131. The Autotrader 400 will kick off the second race of the season on Feb 22 at Echo Park Speedway. Preece is twenty fourth within the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings following the race.