Clash winner Ryan Preece leads Ford top-5 sweep in final Daytona 500 practice

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This article was published 14/02/2026 (208 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Clash winner Ryan Preece kept his Ford on the ground Saturday, and the manufacturer took the top five spots in the final Daytona 500 practice. Preece helped RFK Racing sweep the top three spots a day ahead of NASCAR’s season-opening race.

Preece outlasted sleet, a wet track and a record number of cautions to win The Clash in near-freezing temperatures two weeks ago at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The exhibition was the first victory at the top Cup Series level for Preece, who drives a Ford for RFK Racing.

Preece handled the sunny sky at Daytona International Speedway just as well and hit 192.819 mph to pace the field.

Only 18 of the 41 cars practiced on Saturday, with many choosing not to risk damaging their car ahead of NASCAR’s version of the Super Bowl. Among those who didn’t practice Saturday were pole sitter Kyle Busch and second-place starter Chase Briscoe.

Preece was followed by fellow Ford drivers and RFK teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski. Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano completed the top five. Keselowski had the best 10-consecutive lap average at 191.510 mph.

Two-time defending Daytona 500 champion William Bryon was 13th in the No. 24 Chevrolet. Chevrolet took the sixth through 13th positions. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who announced Saturday he planned to end his NASCAR Cup Series career at the 2027 Daytona 500, was the lone Toyota driver to go out.

“I think we have a real shot at winning the Daytona 500 and putting my name on here again,” said Johnson, a two-time race winner.

NASCAR moved the start time of Sunday’s Daytona 500 up one hour because of the threat of inclement weather. The green flag is now scheduled for 2:13 p.m. Eastern.

Preece had a smooth effort Saturday a year after he took another terrifying tumble at Daytona International Speedway in the Daytona 500.

Preece was involved in a more harrowing crash in the summer race at Daytona in 2023. His car flipped numerous times, and he was transported to a hospital and kept overnight. He showed up the week with two black eyes from the wreck. NASCAR and Daytona responded by replacing sections of infield grass with pavement.

He finished 32nd in the Daytona 500.

Preece, who has clawed his way through the ranks of NASCAR from a background racing modifieds in the Northeast, has been on NASCAR’s national scene since 2013 but is starting only his seventh full season of competition at the Cup level.

Preece ran only two races in 2022, then spent the next two seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, but was out of a seat when that team folded after the 2024 season.

He was picked up by RFK Racing, the team co-owned by Keselowski, ahead of 2025 and was arguably the top performer for the organization.

In 223 starts since 2015, Preece has 30 top-10 finishes.

“Every win at this level is gonna feel like the first,” Preece said this week at Daytona. “I’ve worked too hard to get here for it not to. There’s been different wins in my career on different stages that have meant a lot to me and winning that first points series race is gonna be a big deal. I hope my kids are there. I hope my family is there when it happens, but that’s the goal for 2026 is win.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing