Preece Describes NASCAR Cup Car as 'Plywood … on a Windy Day' Following Daytona 500 Collision

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      It wouldn't be the Daytona 500 without experiencing "The Big One." The NASCAR season opener on Sunday was nearing the last five laps when chaos erupted, involving numerous drivers, with Ryan Preece having the most significant impact. This marks the second time in three years that Preece has faced a serious crash where his car went airborne at Daytona, raising concerns among him and others in the sport about the car's stability during high-speed collisions.

      "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," Preece stated, as reported by Racer.com.

      As one can infer from Preece’s remark (and the accompanying video), the No. 60 Ford Mustang was airborne for an extended period after colliding with the front of Christopher Bell’s car when he had no escape route. The situation escalated so rapidly that the car performed what appeared to be a sustained wheelie on TV. In reality, the car was soaring through the air with its hood elevated and its rear bumper lifted from the track.

      At that point, it was just a question of time before the car came crashing down or flipped entirely over. Ultimately, it was the latter—though fortunately, it rolled more sideways than end over end. This was little comfort to Preece, who found himself sliding on the roof of his car at an alarming speed towards the wall.

      "When the car took off like that and it got really quiet, all I thought about was my daughter," Preece reflected. "I’m lucky to walk away, but we’re getting really close to someone not being able to."

      The Next Gen car's ability to remain grounded during such crashes has been scrutinized almost since it was introduced. Some mandatory adjustments have been made following previous incidents, yet judging by Preece's plywood analogy, it clearly hasn't been sufficient. If anyone knows this firsthand, it's him.

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       pic.twitter.com/kMZcmSjgWP— Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece_) February 17, 2025

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