Five races -- that's all it took for RFK Racing's Ryan Preece to match his career-best finish in the NASCAR Cup Series. This time, however, he did so at an intermediate track.
The RFK Racing driver entered the season with 189 Cup Series starts split between multiple teams. He had four top-five finishes, headlined by a third-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2019. His best finish on an intermediate track was fourth at Nashville Superspeedway last season.
Preece matched this Talladega finish Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He crossed the line third behind winner Josh Berry and runner-up Daniel Suarez. This marked his first top-10 finish as a member of RFK Racing, and it reinforced the belief that he didn't need to listen to the outside noise.
"Going into the season the motto is live by the fire, die by the fire, and take chances, be aggressive, be on the offense, and just put us in position," Preece said after the race.
"Man, I'm happy for Josh. I really liked him when we were teammates and I'm just super proud of everybody on this Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse. I just can't thank Jack Roush, Brad Keselowski, Kroger, Mohawk Northeast, Fifth Third Bank - and the list goes on and on - Build Submarines, Castrol, for the opportunity.
"I've been told I'm mid very often by people, and I'm glad I feel... Josh said he felt like himself again, and I felt the same today."
Confirmed: $60 car IS money 💰 pic.twitter.com/AFMeTbS3hG
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) March 16, 2025
Of course, Preece did not have a simple path to a top-five finish. He started 12th but faded to 19th by the end of the opening stage. He worked his way from 21st up to 11th by the end of a chaotic stage 2 featuring multiple cars spinning and another losing a wheel.
An incident in the final stage nearly ended Preece's day. Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones spun in the middle of the pack on Lap 195 as other drivers crashed behind them. Jones made contact with the rear of Preece's No. 60 Ford, which nearly sent it spinning. However, the veteran was able to save the car and keep moving forward.
This move set Preece up for the final stretch of the race and provided an opportunity to lock up a strong finish. He capitalized by lining up inside the top 10 on the final restart with 19 to go. He was fifth with 14 laps to go, and then he worked his way to third before crossing the finish line.
This top-five finish is a big step for Preece and RFK Racing, but that's all it is -- a step. The next task for the team will be continuing this streak while contending for wins and a spot in the playoffs.