On a fateful day at Dover Motor Speedway, Ryan Preece, the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, experienced a harrowing incident that prematurely ended his race. Smoke began to fill the cockpit of his car, forcing him to pit multiple times and ultimately retire from the event.
Noah Gragson crew chief Drew Blickensderfer said the fire in the Ryan Preece car at Dover was a self-inflicted issue by the organization that was close to happening on all the SHR cars. The issue has been corrected. He explains: pic.twitter.com/i7VjLMkPE2
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 2, 2024
After the race Ryan Preece was frustrated and he revealed that the issue could have been resolved by the team. Additionally, Noah Gragson’s crew chief Drew Blickensderfer agreed with his point and explained the situation claiming the team had lost part and due to which the issue occurred. Recently, Bob Pockrass shared a video of Drew Blickensderfer expressing the issue and Bob wrote:
“Noah Gragson crew chief Drew Blickensderfer said the fire in the Ryan Preece car at Dover was a self-inflicted issue by the organization that was close to happening on all the SHR cars. The issue has been corrected. He explains:”
Ryan Preece’s fire incident
As the race unfolded, Preece’s car developed smoke inside the cockpit before completing even 30 laps. Initially, the team believed it was rubber buildup burning in the rocker, a problem that Preece’s teammate, Chase Briscoe, had encountered the day before.
The crew worked diligently during a caution period, but the smoke persisted. Preece described the situation: “I felt like I was on fire, and I went the first 70 laps just trying to push through. Then it got so bad that I couldn’t put my hands on the wheel.” Concerned for his safety, he pulled off the track.
Preece expressed frustration, emphasizing that whatever caused the fire was “completely unnecessary.” Although he didn’t specify the exact source of the fire, early speculation pointed to rubber or foam inside the door. Regardless, Preece believed that the incident could have been prevented. Unfortunately, it led to his early exit from the Wurth 400, finishing in 37th place.
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