MARTINSVILLE, Va. — NASCAR Cup Collection driver Ryan Preece didn’t maintain again when explaining why Martinsville Speedway is a bit more vital to him than different race tracks the sequence visits.
Preece, who has a pole and a pair of top-10 finishes at Martinsville, defined that the .525-mile oval has performed a significant function in his racing profession
“Martinsville is a spot that I like and the reason is is that’s the place I acquired my first modified win,” Preece defined. “That’s the place I acquired my first Cup Collection pole. That’s the place I’ve received a number of instances within the modifieds, so there’s quite a lot of nice issues about Martinsville for me, but it surely’s simply that monitor.
“There are specific race tracks that drivers really feel that once they go to them, they really feel like they will get that additional little bit, and in terms of Martinsville, that’s the model of race monitor that we’re all the time a contender to go get the pole. We’re a contender at quick tracks, so, for me, I discuss qualifying is extraordinarily vital and that’s as a result of it’s. Making an attempt to make up monitor place in yr’s previous is extraordinarily troublesome and generally it takes you all 400 laps to do this.
“We noticed it earlier this spring after we stayed out for stage factors. It took us all the way in which till the ultimate 50 laps to get within the prime 10 and it’s not simple, so with that being stated, I do see with Goodyear that the brand new left aspect ought to promote some tire put on, ought to promote tire administration, so that ought to create late-race passing relying on how lengthy these runs go, so there are quite a lot of issues on my thoughts in terms of that.
“That would make the monitor place recreation, relying on how your automobile is and the way you handle your tires, a bit of bit simpler, however after we go to Martinsville that’s circled initially of the yr – two instances that we will go win.”
Preece is enthusiastic in regards to the new Martinsville tire.
“That’s why I’m truly excited that we’re heading down the route that we’re going with the tire. I’ve been saying it for 4 years. That is what we have to do and we’ve been doing it and, guess what? Now we’re seeing passing. We’re seeing administration,” Preece defined. “We’re seeing issues that quite a lot of these drivers, lots of people, they’re used to 40-50 lap sprints and administration isn’t actually a factor. You simply had exhausting tires that relying on how sizzling they acquired would fall off, and now you noticed it on the ROVAL, you’ve seen it at Loudon, you noticed it at varied locations that relying on how exhausting you abuse that tire, the larger the worth you pay.
“That’s similar to what I grew up racing was, ‘yeah, I can select to beat this tire and make pace and do all that, however I’m gonna pay the worth at lap 40 or 50 in an 80-100 lap race.’ So, to me, the steadiness, the traits of the way in which that the automobile is driving as properly was the tire deg is getting much more much like what I’m used to.”
