The NASCAR driver flipped 10 times at high speed during the NASCAR Cup Series race
Last week, Ryan Preece put the Next Gen car to the test in a violent crash at Daytona International Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series driver barrel rolled at a high rate of speed, flipping at least 10 times.
The incident happened as he was turned backwards down the backstretch. As the car went backwards at 190 mph, the air lifted the car clear off the ground.
He did a slow flip through the air before crashing back to the ground on his roof. Once hitting the grass, the car gripped the earth and was sent into many violent loops.
Preece was able to climb from the car with minor help from the AMR safety team. However, once he exited the car, the safety crew elected to place him on a stretcher before getting into the ambulance.
NASCAR driver placed on a stretcher after Daytona crash (Video)
Preece was initially transported to the infield care center for evaluation. He was later transferred to a local hospital where he stayed overnight.
Preece hasn’t commented since the crash, with the exception of a brief crash. Today, he commented on the incident in detail.
And remarkably, he’s been cleared to race in this weekend’s playoff opener at Darlington Raceway…
Ryan Preece comments
“I’m good. It’s been quite a week, that’s for sure. But definitely, definitely really excited to have been given the OK to race this weekend at Darlington,” Ryan Preece told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio today.
“Because there’s nothing that I love more than my family and racing race cars. So to be able to go to Darlington this weekend and race with my 41 team, we’re excited and ready to get back out there.”
“I was ready to go do tests and everything on Sunday, you know, to make sure I was cleared. But we wanted to go through all the steps and we did it twice, just to make sure there were no symptoms that appeared later in the week.”
“And everything’s good. I feel great, no concussion and I’m ready to get out there and go race.”
“That just goes to show the amount of work that NASCAR has really been doing to keep improving this race car and obviously having that car at the R&D Center, they’re gonna look over and continue to work to make it even safer.”
“I’m not downplaying the wreck by any means, because it was certainly probably the biggest wreck I’ve ever taken in my career, but I’m sitting here, I’m talking to you guys right now. There’s nothing stopping me from racing this weekend. And I’m really ready to get to Darlington.”
NASCAR reacts to the Ryan Preece crash at Daytona
Drivers say the grass needs to be removed
After the incident, many drivers were vocal in saying the grass needs to be removed. Not just from Daytona, but all NASCAR tracks.
“Obviously going that fast, car getting turned around backwards, touching grass, and lifting, it’s a sheet of plywood so it lifts way too easy. That was concerning obviously, and then just how fast it took off,” Kyle Busch told Bob Pockrass.
“It looked like an iRacing crash. It was crazy. Didn’t know 3500 pounds could move that fast.”
“Busch added, “A 1000%, all day long. I don’t know why we have grass.”
Busch wasn’t the only driver with that opinion. It was unanimous, of all the drivers that were asked.
“Kevin Harvick stated, “The grass really needs to go. It sure seems like going from grass to asphalt is what got the car going to grass what got the car going.”
Daytona Results: August 26, 2023 (NASCAR Cup Series)
