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The Camping World SRX Series has added a short track standout for the return to Stafford Motor Speedway on July 20. Connecticut native Ryan Preece will make his series debut in the unique race cars.
The SRX Series announced the news on July 13 during its season-opening event at Stafford Motor Speedway. Preece was on hand while Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick made his SRX Series debut, but he also received an up-close look at the car he will control.
Preece is no stranger to Stafford Motor Speedway. He has previously competed at the track in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and he has celebrated after some standout performances.
Per Racing Reference, Preece has 25 wins in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Nine of these were at Stafford Motor Speedway. This includes the 2015 season when he won two of the three races at the track. Doug Coby won the third.
Along with the success in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Preece has two career Xfinity Series wins at short tracks. He won the 2017 race at Iowa Speedway and then he won at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2018. Preece drove for Joe Gibbs Racing in both events.
The SRX Series Opener Delivered for Fans & Viewers
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GettyRyan Preece prepares for a race at Stafford Motor Speedway.
The first two seasons of the SRX Series featured fascinating races at various short tracks across the country. These aired on CBS Sports before the series moved to ESPN for the 2023 season.
The SRX Series kicked off its third year by bringing back “Thursday Night Thunder.” There was a special intro highlighting the brand’s history and the role it played in racing history, which only led to an intriguing season-opening event.
What Preece witnessed was a hard-fought battle between veterans of numerous racing series. Marco Andretti, Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, Hailie Deegan, Bobby Labonte, Ken Schrader, Harvick, Ryan Newman, Tony Kanaan, Clint Bowyer, and Denny Hamlin went door-to-door around the short track while leaning into contact.
Lightning and rain cut the event short during a wild battle between standout drivers. Hamlin was in the lead, so he secured the win in his first career SRX Series start. Newman finished second after he worked his way through the field and chased down his fellow Daytona 500 winner.
Bowyer took the final spot on the podium after he proved to be a contender throughout the evening’s heat races and the main event. Now he will prepare for his next two SRX Series starts, which will take place at Motor Mile Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway.
The SRX Series Made a Schedule Change
GettyRyan Newman races during the 2022 SRX Series season.
The July 20 race will mark the second consecutive SRX Series event at Stafford Motor Speedway. This is a change from the original schedule, which had the purpose-built cars heading to Thunder Road Speedbowl in Vermont.
The reason for the change is the amount of flooding in the area. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency after intense rain and dangerous flooding in the city of Barre and the surrounding area.
The SRX Series has plans to return to hold an event at Thunder Road Speedbowl during its 2024 season. For now, the series will remain at Stafford Motor Speedway for the second consecutive race.
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