"Ryan Preece is a waste of space"; "Brutal hit" - NASCAR fans upset after William Byron's crash at Indy

Fans were left fuming after Ryan Preece triggered a crash that jeopardized William Byron's Brickyard 400 race on Sunday. On lap 74 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race, Preece set off the crash that collected multiple cars, including the one of AJ Allmendinger, Preece's own, and, of course, Byron's.

On lap 74, Chase Briscoe tried to slow down and downshift his #14 Ford while exiting Turn 2. But while trying the move, he tagged William Byron, who was side-by-side with Ryan Preece and Harrison Burton.

The action opened up a gap for Preece, who tried to go for it and, as a result, nudged Byron's car into the right wall. After hitting the wall, the #24 driver lost control, cut across the field, and slammed the wall on his left.

He also happened to tag AJ Allmendinger's #16 along the way. The crash resulted in all three drivers taking DNFs. The medical team present at the venue took a look at William Byron, Ryan Preece, and AJ Allmendinger, and left them after a short check-up.

Fans were quick to lash out at the 33-year-old Ryan Preece:

"Ryan Preece is a waste of space," a fan wrote.

"Brutal hit by Byron," wrote another fan.

"The reason Custer needed to be in the 41 next year," another fan wrote justifying Cole Custer's move to HFT next year as a replacement for Preece.

Another fan compared Ryan Preece with Corey Lajoie.

"Preece is just like Lajoie a waste of a car and zero talent," they wrote.

"Preece is a weapon. Moves like that aren't gonna help his search for a ride," wrote a fan while accusing Preece of jeopardizing his future chances.

"Now’s the time to stop with wondering why preece won’t be in cup next year lol. it’s obvious," stated another fan.

---

William Byron blamed Chase Briscoe for the Indianapolis crash

William Byron, driver of the #24 Valvoline Chevrolet, on the grid

William Byron opened up to the media after his Indianapolis Motor Speedway race. Speaking to the media, he put outright blame not on Ryan Preece but on Chase Briscoe for the crash.

"He [Chase Briscoe] lifted and came up in front of me and choked me up. We’re just back there with the squirrels," Byron said.

The DNF denied Byron, the Hendrick Motorsports driver, a chance to continue his team's tradition of winning at this track every 10 years. Building on the legacy set by Jeff Gordon's wins in 1994, 2004, and 2014, Byron aimed to continue the streak. However, Byron failed to replicate it at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this time around.