Preece Claims First Career Cup Victory, Buescher 8th
CONCORD, NC (February 5, 2026) – It was worth the wait for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. After a snow storm blanketed the Winston Salem, NC area January 30, forcing the postponement of the Cook Out Clash from Sunday to Wednesday, the three car RFK team came to Bowman Gray Stadium with a blizzard of its own. Ryan Preece scored his first career Cup Series victory while Chris Buescher and Corey LaJoie held nothing back.
Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Coca-Cola Ford Mustang
Ryan Preece delivered a career defining performance at Bowman Gray Stadium, charging from 18th to score his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in the Cook Out Clash. A win that validated years of perseverance.
“Two Years ago, I didn’t think I was gonna have a job,” said the Berlin, CT driver, his voice cracking as he spoke to live television in victory lane. “I thought I was going back to Connecticut, and I’m just super emotional”
Those emotions were justified after overcoming much adversity to score a hard fought win. From the drop of the green flag, Preece steadily moved forward, climbing to 16th by the first caution and confidently telling his team, “I’m coming boys.” He backed those words up, charging to 13th after passing Ross Chastain, and reaching ninth by the halfway point in the No. 60 Kroger/Coca Cola Ford continued to improve.
“I’m a quarter-mile killer. When it comes to this style of racing it’s what I grew up doing,” Preece added, following the race.
After pitting for four tires and adjustments, conditions turned ugly. Winter weather that had already delayed this race by three days, had returned. Following a mid-race break on a bitterly cold night, sleet began to fall, forcing teams onto rain tires. Calling it “pure survival,” Preece battled through minimal visibility and a slick surface. He was spun by Chastain shortly after the restart and dropped to 19th, but quickly rebounded, to surge back to eighth with 70 laps remaining.
From there, Preece put on a masterclass in changing conditions. He sliced through traffic on both grooves, high and low. His confident vow to his team that he was coming to the front came to full fruition when he took the lead at lap 143 of the 200 lap event. Although he relinquished it briefly, it was clear that he and his hard-nosed short track upbringing prepared him for this moment. After remaining the lead on lap 156, and dominating several restarts between then and the finish, Preece was sizzling hot on an icy cold night in Winston Salem.
“Man, (the emotions) all hit me. I feel bad for Roush Yates Engines right now because that thing is bouncing off the chip pretty hard,” said Preece. “I’ve got to thank Ford, Ford Racing and everybody there with all the support they give us. As far as emotions go, when you work as hard as I have, I hate talking about it because I hate getting emotional about it, but it’s not just the Clash – winning means everything to me. I’ve put a lot into it.”
Chris Buescher #17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Chris Buescher fought through changing track conditions and constant cautions Wednesday to earn an eighth place finish in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Starting eighth, Buescher moved to seventh by lap 20 and that the car was capable of running both the high and low lanes. He took advantage of the maneuverability, passing Christopher Bell to move into sixth by lap 40
As the race progressed though, handling shifted and the No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford became too loose, and Buescher to slip back to 16th by the halfway point. During the planed mid-race break, Crew chief Scott Graves brought him to the garage area for four tires and air pressure adjustments to tighten the car, reminding Buescher to stay patient with still 100 laps remaining.
The event turned chaotic when sleet and snow began falling, forcing teams onto rain tires. In the mixed conditions, Buescher clawed back into the top 10 late, running as high as seventh before late restarts shuffled the field. He avoided damage in several incidents and ultimately finished eighth in one of the most unpredictable races ever contested at Bowman Gray.
“Long night,” said Buescher. “Overall, we had decent speed. It fell off really hard with all the rain and ice. It was chaos out there. So, everything‘s a little worse off for the wear. I’m happy for Preece and the 60 bunch. That’s pretty cool. It was neat for them to pull it out with all those conditions.”
Corey Lajoie #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang
It was a valiant effort by Corey LaJoie. Substituting for Brad Keselowski, who is recovering from a broken leg suffered in December, Lajoie took the wheel the No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang at the Cook Out Clash. After qualifying outside the top 20, LaJoie was forced to race into the main event through the 75 lap Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), where only the top two finishers advanced.
Starting fourth, LaJoie settled into a rhythm and went to work on the bottom line and began charging forward. Lajoie moved within eye shot of the final Clash qualifying spot when he passed John Hunter Nemechek for third. Still one more spot was needed and Lajoie approached it with bold aggression, chasing down AJ Allmendinger for the final transfer spot, taking second on Lap 62.
The coveted transfer spot though would not come easy. A side by side battle with Austin Cindric, where the two would exchange crossover moves, from the ourside lane to the inside, ensued during the closing laps. The second position swapped hands multiple times but LaJoie ultimately finished third, just short of advancing, after a determined and physical run.
“It was like a game of chess at 50 miles an hour. You wanted to be the guy on the inside obviously, but you don’t want to pass the guy because then he had the opportunity to get back to you,” Lajoie explained. “I came up a little bit short. It was exciting. It was fun to be in the fight. I hadn’t been in a fight like that in a long time.
About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 39th season in 2026, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit https://www.rfkracing.com/ and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
