RYAN PREECE
Darlington Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Event Overview
● Event: Cook Out Southern 500 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 1
● Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
● Layout: 1.366-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 367 laps/501.32 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 115 laps / Stage 2: 115 laps / Final Stage: 137 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● The Cook Out Southern 500 Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway will mark Ryan Preece’s 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start at the 1.366-mile oval and his fifth in the Southern 500. The driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing has a best finish of 12th at Darlington, earned in the 2021 Southern 500. In his most recent Darlington start in May for the Goodyear 400, Preece finished 17th.
● Preece has one Darlington start apiece in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In his September 2016 Xfinity Series start, he qualified 22nd and finished 10th in a JD Motorsports entry. His Truck Series appearance came in May 2017 when he started 13th and finished seventh for David Gilliland Racing.
● The 2024 season marks Darlington’s 74th anniversary, with the track having hosted 126 NASCAR Cup Series races. The first came on Sept. 4, 1950 and it was the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt. Johnny Mantz drove his Plymouth to the win with an average speed of 75.250 mph and the race took 6 hours, 38 minutes and 40 seconds to complete. Juxtapose that with Kyle Larson’s win in last year’s Southern 500, where he had an average speed of 120.906 mph and the race finished in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 47 seconds.
● Joining Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Darlington is HaasTooling.com, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation. HaasTooling.com allows CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.
Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
What do you think of Darlington serving as the regular-season finale and the last chance for drivers to earn a playoff berth?
“I think it’s a little bit better than what it’s been in recent years. It’s more of a controlled environment when it comes to if you’re going to have an opportunity to get in the playoffs and win, or not feel like it’s such an anomaly that it could make your season or break your season. I think it’s a good thing.”
Do you feel like a race at Darlington is more in your hands, as opposed to the week before at Daytona where you have to rely on others to push you in the draft?
“I feel like Darlington is more about your team and your speed as an organization. If you’re a team with a lot of speed, you’re probably one that really likes the opportunity to do that. But at the same time, I think it’s just another opportunity to make your car fast and earn your way in.”
What is it about Darlington that makes drivers feel like the track can reach out and bite you at any given moment?
“I don’t necessarily think it’s that way as much as it once was. I guess I just haven’t had that feel. It’s just a really low-grip racetrack, and sometimes if you try to get a little too much, it can certainly get you.”
The Southern 500 is 100 miles longer (74 additional laps) than your first race at Darlington was back in May. Is a race at Darlington akin to the Coca-Cola 600, where it’s a test of stamina as much as a test of skill?
“Believe it or not, you talk about 74 laps, it’s a long race. It’s one where you want to make sure you’ve drank enough fluids and, starting in the day and going into the night, you want to make sure the balance is good.”
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Ryan Preece
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut
Crew Chief: Chad Johnston
Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana
Car Chief: Jeremy West
Hometown: Gardena, California
Engineer: Marc Hendricksen
Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey
Spotter: Tony Raines
Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana
Over-The-Wall Members
Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia
Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon
Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina
Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Jack Man: Sherman Timbs
Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi
Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore
Hometown: Griffin, Georgia
Road Crew Members
Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini
Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania
Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby
Hometown: Anaheim, California
Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway
Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia
Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife
Hometown: Orange County, California
Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues
Hometown: Santa Clarita, California
Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer
Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania
