RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece didn\u2019t climb the racing ladder on the back of a family legacy like Chase Elliott or Kyle Busch. He came from much humbler beginnings.<\/p>\n
His father ran a modest plumbing and HVAC business in Connecticut, employing around ten people. Despite lacking motorsports pedigree, he fully backed Preece\u2019s ambitions behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
While others might have spent their summers at the track, Preece got his hands dirty, fabricating ductwork as a tin knocker and, in the winter, scaling icy rooftops in biting cold. But even then, he carried the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Aware of how steep racing costs can run, he refused to let his dream drain the family\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Preece reflected on that crossroad, saying, \u201cI saw the financial burden that it was\u2026 And as you know, racing\u2019s expensive. So, I didn\u2019t want my father or my family to go broke because we were racing.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cNow, my father, when things were really good or even right now, we can go race modifieds, but we weren\u2019t going to be able to go do ARCA or K&N East or Xfinity or any of those things. Like financially, just we weren\u2019t that (rich). And I guess at an early age, I just didn\u2019t want to see my family struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to figure it out for myself at that point. So, I guess I don\u2019t necessarily think that I was separating. I think I said separating from my father, but I wanted to find my own way, I wanted to build it up without (anyone suffering financially),\u201d he explained<\/a>.<\/p>\n