--- title: "Preece Says NASCAR Cup Car Like ‘Plywood … on a Windy Day’ After Daytona 500 Crash" date: "2025-02-17" modified: "2025-02-17" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/preece-says-nascar-cup-car-like-plywood-on-a-windy-day-after-daytona-500-crash" categories: - "News" --- # Preece Says NASCAR Cup Car Like ‘Plywood … on a Windy Day’ After Daytona 500 Crash ![]() *\Getty Images\* It wouldn't be the [Daytona 500]() without "The Big One." Sunday's [NASCAR]() season kick-off was down to the final five laps when chaos broke out, collecting a whole slew of drivers with Ryan Preece getting the worst of it. It's [the second time in three years]() that Preece has suffered a serious crash in which his car goes airborne at Daytona, which has him and others across the sport wondering about the car's ability to stay planted during a big, fast crash. “I don’t know if it’s the diffuser or what that makes these cars like a sheet of plywood when you walk out on a windy day,” Preece said, according to *[Racer.com]()*. As you can deduct from Preece's comment above (and the [video]() below), the No. 60 Ford Mustang went for a long flight when he hit the front of Christopher Bell's car after he had nowhere to go. Things developed with such ferocity that the car pulled a sustained wheelie—or at least that's how it looked on TV. In reality, the car was flying through the air with its hood sticking up and its rear bumper hovering over the tarmac. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VOlWc0FXpw At that point, it was just a matter of time until the car came crashing back down or flipped completely over. It was the latter—though luckily, the flip was more sideways than end over end. Not that it was much consolation to Preece, who found himself sliding on the roof of his car at ridiculous speed heading toward the wall. “When the car took off like that and it got real quiet, all I thought about was my daughter," Preece recounted. "I’m lucky to walk away but we’re getting really close to somebody not being able to." The Next Gen car's ability to stay on the ground during these types of crashes has been questioned almost since its debut. Some [mandatory changes]() have been implemented following previous incidents, but judging by Preece's plywood comment, it clearly hasn't been enough. If anyone knows firsthand, it'd be him. > [#NewProfilePic]() [pic.twitter.com/kMZcmSjgWP]() > — Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece\_) [February 17, 2025]() *Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()