Ryan Preece eliminated from Cup championship contention in 2026

Ryan Preece, a driver for RFK Racing, was eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series championship contention in the 2026 season after finishing 13th in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Initially leading 23 laps, Preece finished in 19th place and played a crucial role in his team's strategy during the first stage. Unlike most competitors who focused on fuel conservation, Preece joined teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski in an aggressive drafting formation, gaining significant ground and eventually finishing second behind Buescher.

However, his afternoon was marred by a 12-car accident on Lap 132, which left his No. 60 Ford competitive but unable to close the gap with championship leader Kyle Larson. Preece's points tally, 33 from his finishing position and stage performance, moved him up one position in the Chase standings to 15th with 2,192 points. Despite this, he trails Larson by 249 points and has been mathematically eliminated from title contention.

Preece will now strive to conclude his Chase campaign strongly in the upcoming races at Martinsville and Homestead-Miami.