NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regular Ryan Preece has landed a
one-race deal with car owner Maxie Bush to drive the No. 28 Ford in
the US Cellular 200, a combined race between the NASCAR Camping
World Series East and NASCAR Camping World Series West.
“It’s definitely going to be a fun experience,” Preece said.
“It’s going to be my first time in a full-bodied car. I’m getting
out of the open-wheeled stuff to try this, and I’m real excited.”
In his first foray in fendered racing, Preece will look to
qualify the Bush Racing Ford Fusion among a large field of entries
for the event that will start 44 cars. Last year’s race drew a
record crowd of nearly 25,000 and saw eventual NASCAR Camping World
Series East Champion Joey Logano beat NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kevin
Harvick to the checkered flag.
“I’m really looking forward to Iowa,” Preece said. “I have my
little simulator at home and I’ve probably been doing 500 laps a day
on that thing.”
The last time out in his No. 3 Mizzy Construction Chevrolet
for Boehler Racing Enterprises in the Spring Sizzler at Stafford
(Conn.) Motor Speedway, the 17-year-old Preece became the youngest
driver in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history to earn the Coors
Light Pole Award. He then ran up front for 64 laps during the race,
the first laps led in his two-year career.
The US Cellular 200 is set to go green at Iowa Speedway on
Sunday, May 18 in Newton, Iowa. The race will be carried live by
HDNet and will be rebroadcast on SPEED. The NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour will next race Friday, May 23 at Stafford.
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