Statement victory at Iowa Speedway

Actions speak louder than words.

Ryan Preece announced in December 2016 he was walking away from a second full-time season as a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver. Preece had an offer from JD Motorsports for that ride.

Preece had something else in mind for his ride. On Saturday he made a statement on the Iowa Speedway track, winning the Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 in a thrilling overtime green-white-checkered run holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Benjamin.

“I wasn’t happy at the end of last year,” Preece said following Saturday’s win. “I knew what I needed to do to get attention in this sport. These two races were the shot and I’ll never regret it.”

Preece raced with JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series in 2016, finishing 17th in points. The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion returned to the Modified Tour before learning of the Joe Gibbs Racing team opportunity.

He put all his funding into the gamble of two races with JGR in 2017.

“To be honest with you, I believed in myself enough to do it. It was hard to walk away from that offer. It is very risky. I had multiple people in the business tell me that it was a little (riskier) than they would do,” Preece said.

When he was told of a possible opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing, he made a telephone call to Steve Desouza, executive vice president and general manager of Xfinity Series development for JGR.

“Steve told me what it was going to take to get it done. I worked hard on my end to get in the car and secure sponsorship. I’m fortunate to have local companies who believe in me and what I’m trying to accomplish,” the 26-year-old driver from Berlin, Conn. said.

What he accomplished with his resources in the two-race deal with JGR was the statement he wanted to make, he said. The former NASCAR Next driver did not waste his opportunity.

Preece was runner-up to Kyle Busch — a NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver — in the Xfinity race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15 and won Saturday’s race at Iowa.

“I have to thank Joe Gibbs Racing for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to get the job done here,” Preece said. “Also, to my teammates as we worked together all weekend, shared notes and that’s why our cars were strong all weekend.”

Preece and JGR teammate Kyle Benjamin started on the front row in Iowa Speedway’s final race of the 2017. Preece had to hold off Benjamin in three restarts in the final 10 laps, forcing the race to go to Lap 254 to decide.

The other JGR driver Matt Tifft finished 19th as Preece earned his first career Xfinity win.

“That last restart was getting difficult as tire spin was becoming a big thing. I race short tracks and the high line is the fast line. I knew in two laps its was going to be tough for him (Benjamin) to get me,”Preece said.

Preece’s crew chief Chris Gabehart said he takes special pride in kids like Preece and Benjamin. He said he takes his job to another level with the younger drivers.

“These kids are trying to make it and they only get a couple of shots. I’m proud of my race team for the No. 20. We’re not going to be the weak link for these kids,” Gabehart said. “It’s great to see it work out.”

Another non-Xfinity Series regular ran third in the U.S. Cellular 250 Saturday as Brian Scott drove for Richard Childress Racing. Brennan Poole finished fourth and Cole Custer was fifth.

“I’d give up a lot of things to be in his (Preece) position,” Benjamin said after the race. “We were so close (to the win) and it hurts, but I’m happy to finish second because we really needed that. I was very nervous on that final restart. I wanted to make it happen right there.”

Benjamin said his JGR No. 18 was better in the long runs of the race, but at the end it came down to a couple of short runs. He said he fired off well in the final two-lap restart.

“I was on his bumper thinking I might get him loose in the corner. Ryan held it and got the win,” Benjamin said.

For Scott, his first race following him announcing his NASCAR retirement at the end of 2016 was a relaxing one.

“I had no pressure and nothing to lose. I wasn’t racing for points or the playoffs, just getting the win for my team,” Scott said. “It was fun and a great opportunity. I hadn’t worked with this group of guys from Richard Childress Racing, so it was a great run.”

Scott came out of retirement to drive for his former team, Richard Childress Racing. He drove the RCR No. 3 to third at Iowa. He will be back in the No. 3 at the Xfinity Series race on Sept. 23 at Kentucky Speedway.

“The last restart was exciting. I was hoping he (Benjamin) would race No. 20 into the corner and I could sneak by them for the win,” Scott said. “We had a real bad vibration at the end. I was just holding on to the finish.”

Xfinity Series points leader Elliott Sadler ran 12th and remains atop the driver-points ranks. The JR Motorsports trio of Sadler, William Byron and Justin Allgaier are still 1-2-3 in points. Byron, who won at Iowa in June, finished ninth and Allgaier was 20th.

Preece won Stage 1 and the Final Stage and Allgaier was the Stage 2 winner. Preece led 141 laps and Allgaier led 106 laps.

The three native Iowans driving in the Xfinity race Saturday Brett Moffitt was 11th, Joey Gase was 24th and Annett, who is now 11th in the drivers’ points, finished 33rd.

So where does Preece go from Iowa?

“Monday morning, 8 a.m. back to work, I can tell you that,” Preece said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do; we have a Whelen Modified Tour race on Friday. … The work doesn’t end here, it keeps going. I don’t want to be forgotten. I want people to see me winning races … and not stop believing.”

Saturday’s race wrapped up the 2017 racing season at Iowa Speedway. The Xfinity Series heads to Watkins Glen International in New York for a road-course race on Aug. 5.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com