Preece Earns Another Shot In JGR’s No. 20

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Ryan Preece revealed Thursday during NBC’s NASCAR America program that his NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Iowa Speedway is already paying off.

Preece, who was only scheduled to make two starts in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this year, will now make a third start for the team at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 23.

The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion ran a full NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule in 2016 for JD Motorsports, but opted not to return to the team this year to instead focus his efforts on landing a limited schedule with a top-tier team.

That opportunity came when Preece landed a two-race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing this year in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He made his first start with the team at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15, finishing second to teammate Kyle Busch.

Preece did one better on July 29 at Iowa Speedway, leading a race-high 141 laps and holding off 19-year-old teammate Kyle Benjamin to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series victory.