Ryan Preece Bio: Parents, Wife, Crashes, Net Worth & Pet Parents
Many NASCAR fans may be looking for up-and-coming drivers to watch and support but are unsure where to start. With many outstanding drivers competing in the sport, deciding who to root for can be difficult. So today, we will know about one of the most popular NASCAR drivers, Ryan Preece.
Ryan Jeffrey Preece, also known as Ryan Preece (born October 25, 1990), is a professional NASCAR car racing driver from the United States.
Preece began his professional racing journey with the Bertrand team in 2007 and finished 32nd in the Northeastern Midget Association.
A year later, in his sole Northeastern Midget race that year, he finished on the podium for the first time in his career, finishing third at Monadnock.
Preece signed with JR Motorsports in 2019 to drive their No. 8 as a part-timer.
He has also raced for Joe Gibbs Racing in several NASCAR Xfinity Series events, where he has earned two victories.
Currently, he drives the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Moreover, Ryan competed in 128 races in the NASCAR Cup series, 62 races in Xfinity Series, and 12 races in the Craftsman truck series. Similarly, he has a total of 6 races in the ARCA Menard Series (East and West).
Besides, the ravenous driver is also a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour veteran, having won the series championships with Flamingo Motorsports in 2013.
Ryan Preece Parents: Jeff and Jodie Preece
The professional stock car racing driver was born as the youngest child among three to his parents, Jeff and Jodie Preece, in Berlin, Connecticut.
The Preece family supported Ryan in any way possible and handled everything themselves, including building, transporting, fielding, and racing automobiles.
As a result, a robust father-son bond was formed, which continues to strengthen every weekend at the racetrack now that Preece has reached NASCAR’s biggest stage.
Jeff Preece can usually be spotted supporting and cheering on his son.
In an Instagram post, Jeffrey posted a photo dedicating to his parents and highlighted their contribution to his successful racing career.
The caption read, “Here’s to my family. My mother and father took a backseat to my racing career for so long. Sacrificing everything so I could race and be who I am today. My grandfathers came out this week and my brothers and aunts and uncles followed along!”
Also recently, the NASCAR driver honored his first racing hero, his father, with a throwback model in the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang at Darlington.
Ryan Preece Found His Wife In The Racing Field
Ryan married his long-time girlfriend, Heather DesRochers, who is also a racing driver, in a private wedding ceremony on May 13, 2017.
According to insiders, they met at the Stafford Motor Speedway in 2009, and their friendship quickly blossomed into a relationship.
Heather is a member of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity. In 2011, both the Preece couple competed in the SK Modified Series, where Preece won the title, and DesRochers was named Rookie of the Year.
After being together for more than a decade and married for five years, the couple finally became ready to add a new member to their family.
The duo finally gave birth to a baby girl named Rebecca Marie Preece, on 7th August 2023, as per Ryan’s wife Heather’s Instagram post.
NASCAR Implements Safety Changes After Preece’s Talladega Crash
The No. 41 driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan, and Kyler Larson’ crash at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2023, forced NASCAR to implement changes to Cup cars.
They mandated the teams to strengthen the right side area and soften the frontal area following the Talladega crash.
In the drag race, as Larson tried to avoid a car in front of him, he gets hit by the car behind.
The No. 5 car goes uncontrolled and off the track, and Larson comes onto the track in an unsafe manner as he tries to control the car.
In doing so, Ryan goes straight, with much less time to react, hitting the right side door of Larson’s car, heavily wrecking both cars.
However, both racers were uninjured, given the difference in velocity between the two cars at the time of impact was 59mph.
Following the crash, NASCAR announced to allow the teams to add six right-side door bar gussets to prevent the door bars from buckling in such an impact.
NASCAR also announced additional changes after computer simulations and crash testing.
NASCAR mandated: Steel plate welded to the right side door bars, Front clips will be softened, Front bumper strut softening, Front ballast softening, and Modified cross brace.
Confrontation with Corey LaJoie
The 2023 Highpoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway ended with a lot of drama and feuds.
With only 2 laps to go, Preece was spun by Corey LaJoie, and the No. 41 Ford Mustang racer began to pull away, and no caution flag was thrown.
Preece stopped his car after the race leader took the white flag, ending the race.
After the race, Preece and LaJoie pulled to the pit lane, with Preece parking ahead of LaJoie.
He rushed to the LaJoie machine and shared some words with the No 7 Chevrolet driver.
He said, “Fuck you you piece of shit. That was fucking bullshit and you fucking know it.”
Within seconds, several crew members, as well as a NASCAR official, were there to pull Preece away from LaJoie’s machine.
Ryan Preece Net Worth, Sponsors And Endorsements
Ryan has an estimated net worth of $4 million, according to online sources.
According to reports, Preece’s contract with JTG Daugherty in 2021 was worth more than $1.6 million, which was valid for a year.
His most recent contract with SHR is anticipated to be substantially more valuable.
Moreover, the professional racer is thought to have accumulated the vast majority of his wealth through his racing efforts.
Despite not having the largest sponsorship portfolio in the circuit, Preece’s net worth makes it safe to conclude that he has made a respectable sum from endorsements and sponsorships.
He has also won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship once and came second twice, which made him have a big popularity amongst the racing followers.
The NASCAR driver’s main supporter is Kroger, a retail company, and 7 associate sponsors, which include Cheerios, Clorox, Degree, Pringles, Tide, Tyson, and Energizer.
Preece has endorsement agreements with well-known companies such as United Rentals, Ford, HyperCo, Racing Electronics, Hunt Brothers Pizza, etc.
Although the details of his transactions are not made public, it is reasonable to presume that different brands have paid him some fortune.
Pet Parents To Animal Rescuers
In an interview, Preece was asked about ‘What he likes except racing?’ and he mentioned that he is a true gearhead and likes working on street cars, whether it comes to racecars that he owned or my street cars.
Besides, he and his wife like animals and have rescued many, including horses.
The Preece couple keeps their pet in about three-fourths of their property, and a small area is located for their shop.
So it shows that the couple is very interested in rescuing animals and nurturing them as their own, and the pets get love and are from Preece and his Wife.
Also, his wife Heather goes for horseracing, as per her Instagram handle.
They have named their pets Rockey, a horse whom they had recently, Memphisraines, their dog, and also another horse named Paisleyrae.
Moreover, the couple also had a parrot named Rio, who died last year.
Interesting Facts
- Preece began his racing go-karts at the age of 17 and quickly rose through the racing ranks.
- Preece has juggled many jobs throughout the years, occasionally competing in both Xfinity Series and the Cup Series on the same weekend.
- Ryan made history in 2013, being the youngest champion in the Tour History.
- Ryan Preece participated in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, a renowned series known for its close, aggressive racing. He won the title in 2013 and 2015, demonstrating his talent and dedication to the sport.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Who is Ryan Preece’s Wife?
Ryan’s Wife is Heather Preece, who also competes in motorsport.
How Tall Is Ryan Preece?
He stands six feet tall and weighs 70 pounds.
How Many Total Wins Does Ryan Preece Have In NASCAR Xfinity Series?
Preece has won two races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
