“All I thought about was my daughter”: Ryan Preece makes heartfelt admission after the terrifying Daytona 500 crash

NASCAR driver Ryan Preece was involved in a terrifying wreck during the final laps of the Daytona 500. After the incident, the Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing driver opened up about the traumatic experience and expressed his gratitude for surviving the crash. Despite the harrowing ordeal, Preece was thankful to walk away unscathed.

Ryan Preece, driving the #60 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, started 27th in the Daytona 500. Despite the challenging position, he worked his way toward the top ten. However, with four laps to go, he was involved in a multi-car wreck triggered by Christopher Bell. Preece’s car went airborne and flipped onto its side before landing upright.

After being released from the infield care center, the #60 driver expressed his emotions about the harrowing incident via an interview with Matt Weaver.

"Yeah, I don't know if it's the diffuser or what that makes these cars like a sheet of plywood when you walk out on a windy day But you know when the car took off like that and I got real quiet all I thought about was my daughter So I'm lucky to walk away" Ryan Preece said

The incident has sparked controversy, as airborne race cars have become a concerning trend. Last season, similar incidents involving Corey LaJoie and Josh Berry raised alarms, further intensifying concerns about the safety of drivers. These recurring crashes have led to increased discussions on improving car designs and safety measures in NASCAR.

Meanwhile, Ryan Preece’s new teammate at RFK Racing, was the only driver from the team to finish in the top ten, crossing the start-finish line in 10th place. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski, RFK’s co-owner and driver, finished 26th after encountering a setback due to an on-track incident during the race.

"Something needs to be done": Ryan Preece voices concern after horrific airborne incident at Daytona

Ryan Preece was fortunate to walk away from the harrowing crash in the final laps of the Daytona 500. However, the RFK Racing driver voiced his concerns about the recurring issue of cars going airborne.

In a post-race interview with Matt Weaver, Preece emphasized that he didn’t want to be the “example” if these crashes resulted in harm, urging for changes to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.

"I don't know what the right thing to say right now is, but I think the thing I want to say as a father, as a racer, is we keep beating on a door, hoping for a different result. And I think we know where there's a problem at Superspeedways, so I don't want to be the example of when it finally does get somebody, I don't want it to be me." Ryan Preece said

"I got a two-year-old daughter, just like a lot of us, we have families, so something needs to be done as far as listening off the ground like that[...] Honestly, with a hit like that, a hit on impact, I don't really think it should have gone airborne, right? So, I'm just not very, very happy" he added

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron emerged victorious after hitting a stroke of luck following a crash in the final lap of overtime. Meanwhile, seven seven-time Cup Series champion notably finished in P3, his best finish in the Next-Gen era.