New group, new mindset for Preece and the No.60 team
03/27/2025 06:01 PM
A new type of attitude is beginning to permeate within Ryan Preece's RFK Racing team.
It stems from the word "win," which Preece and his crew chief, Derrick Finley, has used more and more over the last few weeks. Preece previously mentioned seeing a level of "want to win" from the No. 60 group. A group, lest we forget, that is working together for the first time as Preece is six points-paying races into his tenure with RFK Racing.
And then, ahead of last Sunday's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Finley delivered a very confident message to the team. In essence, Finley told them not to expect to win, not think about winning, but just do it.
"I think Derrick has done a great job of managing the group, because this is a new group," Preece said this week. "There are a few guys that have been around for a long time within the road crew, but as far as experience and completely new guys, there is a wide variety, so I think for Derrick – which I'll give him a lot of credit for – is teaching and instilling this mindset in guys that haven't ever had the opportunity to race for wins, and telling them to expect to try and win every given Sunday."
Preece has finished third (Las Vegas) and ninth (Homestead) in the last two Cup Series races. He finished 15th at Phoenix after leading 34 laps, the first team to take advantage of the option tire for track position. It didn't pan out in the end result, but it was a good jolt for the team to help kick start their season.
In the season-opening Daytona 500, a flip down the backstretch overshadowed Preece's speed. A fuel pressure issue two weeks later at Circuit of the Americas unraveled a day where he’d led three laps and won the second stage.
But the signs of promise have been there, hence the change in attitude. Preece is 17th in the championship standings and, as a believer in momentum, is hopeful the first part of the season is coming together regarding consistency.
And then for a win.
"I have that mindset," Preece said. "I've had that mindset my entire life because that's all I've done, other than in the Cup Series, there have been some struggles. But anything outside of that, you show up to the racetrack expecting to win, so I think the mindset of 'expect to win' and run well is a mindset that Derrick is trying to instill in this group, and I'll give him a lot of credit because the attitude of RFK, in general, is the push for perfection, so that's what we're doing.
"There's just a lot of will to win, and that's the thing, it's kind of like my racing career. I could have (given) up chasing after this dream back in 2014, but there's a piece inside of you that's just going to keep pushing and pushing and pushing and be relentless, and that's this group."
