NASCAR
Ryan Preece Moves to Stewart-Haas Cup Team, Cole Custer Drops Back to Xfinity
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing announced Wednesday a change to their Cup Series lineup for 2023. Reserve driver Ryan Preece will take over the No. 41 Ford Mustang. Likewise, Cole Custer will be reassigned to the SHR Xfinity team. Preece, a former Modified Tour champion as well as Xfinity and Truck Series winner, will be a full-time Cup driver again, but this time with a powerhouse team.
“This is the opportunity I’ve been working for,” Preece said. “Nothing was guaranteed at the start of this year, but I felt like if I put in the time, whether it was in a racecar or in a simulator, that SHR was the place for me. It’s a company built by racers, for racers, and it’s exactly where I want to be. I know this season just finished and most people are looking to take a break, but I can’t wait to get going.”
Since leaving the Cup Series after 2021, Preece made select starts in all three National Series for 2022. This span saw Preece find victory lane in the Truck Series at Nashville, backing up the win in his series debut from 2021. The Berlin, Connecticut native also made two Cup starts this past year, at Dover and the Coca-Cola 600.
“Ryan Preece has been a real asset to our race team this year as we’ve developed the Next Gen car,” said SHR co-owner Tony Stewart. “The time and effort he’s put into our program, combined with his real-world racing experience, earned him this opportunity.”
“Ryan has bet on himself a couple of times in his career and it’s always paid off. Now we’re betting on him,” Stewart continued. “I’ve run some Modified Tour races and it’s a tough series with a lot of talent. Ryan’s Mod Tour championship speaks to his talent, and I think he proved that when he pushed all his chips into the middle of the table and bet on himself by getting those Xfinity Series races with Gibbs. When he finally got the right opportunity, he delivered in a big way. Now, Ryan’s got the right opportunity in Cup. We’re proud to have him and look forward to seeing what he can do in our racecars.”
On the flip side of this news is Cole Custer, who returns to Xfinity competition after three years in Cup. In that duration, Custer won once at Kentucky Speedway in 2020. Aside from that rookie year highlight though, the 41 has hardly been relevant with recent championship results of 26th and 25th. Custer will return to the SHR Xfinity lineup where he won nine times between 2017 and 2019. 2019 was Custer’s best Xfinity season by far, with seven wins and finishing second in points. In select Xfinity starts this past season, Custer scored another win at Fontana with SS-Green Light Racing. Custer will be teammates with Riley Herbst, who returns to the No. 98 Mustang.
Now with a talent like Preece in the fold, the expectations are higher for the No. 41. Preece will make his debut in this seat at the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum on February 5. Preece’s first points-paying outing with SHR will be the 65th annual Daytona 500 on February 19.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to True Speed Communications
