r/NASCAR • u/chusaychusay • 4d ago

Why did everyone move out of Preece's lane at the end?

They were anticipating it on air and it happened. I'm not sure why his lane in particular but it left him out to dry and he fell all the way back. I don't know if the other lanes were faster but I did hear something about if Larson took the risk to move over he had his teammates behind him to help.

33 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

46 comments sorted by

180

u/SGT_EpicSpeed 4d ago

The two cars behind him were from Hendrick, and they were trying to make sure Bowman would still be locked into the playoffs.

-66

u/mattdingus2002 4d ago

Race manipulation

19

u/Valcyor McDowell 4d ago

That's not how race manipulation works. The Hendricks were trying to move forward, so they bailed on the guy that was in their way. That guy being a potential win spoiler was just a bonus. That's how drafting tracks work and have worked since at least the 90s.

28

u/sirst0rmy 4d ago

Teammates acting in the best interest of their team is race manipulation?

19

u/eaglescout1984 Adam Petty 4d ago

Meh, teammates use tactics like these all the time to gain advantage for another teammate, playoffs or not. It becomes manipulation when they intentionally fall back or try to bring out a caution.

5

u/Gamer0024 Ryan Blaney 4d ago

A Hendrick car (Or any car already locked in playoffs) getting the win was their best bet to get Bowman in playoffs. Not race manipulation when they were probably going for the win themselves more than anything.

84

u/Waterfish3333 Keselowski 4d ago

The guys behind Preece were Larson and Elliott, teammates to Bowman. Bowman was out of the race and if someone outside the playoff picture won the race, Bowman would be knocked out. Larson already has wins this year so, to help Bowman, Larson and Elliott moved together to be in front and win.

Basically HMS was solely concerned about someone who already won this year to win at Daytona, so if they were still higher at the end they definitely would have pushed Blaney as well.

-18

u/MikeDatTiger 4d ago

I don’t know about that. Blaney ended up beating Larson in the points off of that win. It would have put Larson in a position of “do I screw my teammate or myself.” I think he would have tried to go for it.

21

u/Waterfish3333 Keselowski 4d ago

If it were for the points title I think it’s different, but given the chance to get a teammate into the playoffs is huge. Not just for the morale boost but also the payday for HMS is bigger with all 4 teams in.

Maybe he does go for it instead of push Blaney, we’ll never know.

4

u/-Venom-Wolf- Byron 4d ago edited 4d ago

What am I missing here? Larson is co-leader in playoff standings while Blaney is 4th.

Edit: oh, you’re talking regular season points.

3

u/CosmoCluster Allgaier 4d ago

Blaney went from 13th to first in 2 laps and gained enough points that way anyways

69

u/turkeyracer_6 4d ago

He should never had left the 17. They were lined up to pass the 7 at the end but he got impatient

32

u/Just_the_guy Edwards 4d ago

I said the same thing when it happened. Preece was so eager to lead a line but didn't consider he was leaving his teammate to move in front of two Hendrick cars that left him out to dry quickly. He had plenty of time to get around Haley with the 17 pushing him. Frustrating as a RFK fan, but I've come to expect this type of thing.

1

u/coffeeshopslut 4d ago

Was Haley the lone non HMS Chevrolet up there? He looked pretty lonely up there

7

u/Ok-Gas6717 4d ago

Sometimes this makes more sense because if it came down to Preece vs inside line at the end, Buescher could simply not push the leader of the inside line.

3

u/Lhorner41 Preece 4d ago

That’s what would’ve happened I believe. Sicks it didn’t work out but was the right move to do

3

u/World71Racer NASCAR 4d ago

Idk, Buescher had one of the best cars up front and was doing some great stuff up there. I think they could've shuffled Haley out and raced the Hendrick guys for the win

3

u/Lhorner41 Preece 4d ago

I disagree. This was the same move he made at Talladega this year. You have to lead a line if you get the chance. Didn’t work out obviously but I don’t think he’d do anything different if given the chance over again, you have to put yourself in position and he did

2

u/RayneShikama 4d ago

I think the RFK plan was to try and get Preece and Buescher each to the front of a line, but Buescher was never able to get rid of Haley.

1

u/dollies48 4d ago

Agree 100%, I understand prerace that all of the RFK guys said they were there to get their selves in the playoff and weren't looking for someone to get them in. Then Preece incar radio blast the HMS guys.

0

u/PoliticalConspiracy 4d ago

i’d be frustrated too if my best chance to win was sabotaged by the two of nascars golden children.

18

u/mrrchevy3 4d ago

Just to add, after Larson and Elliott moved to go around Preece anyone else who tried to quickly get behind Preece would have either fallen back just like him or tried to bump him at a huge difference in speed. That usually results in a bad push/bump and wrecking. I think it was Bell directly behind Elliott so he practically had little choice but to pass Preece.

3

u/Biochembob35 4d ago

Bell also had the 24 behind him. If Bell went with Preece he would have allowed all 3 Hendrick cars to line up and probably lost a ton of spots himself.

12

u/GrantD24 Jeff Gordon 4d ago

Two Hendrick cars were committed to ditching him and with how much drag this car has you absolutely have to go with the momentum. You’ll drop fast if you don’t.

Last night’s finish was surprisingly good with how bad this car has been at plate racing. I do hope they go to work on it some this offseason removing some drag but I wouldn’t be shocked if Phelps loved what he saw and they don’t touch it. I think having less cars in the pack helped make that finish be like that honestly

8

u/ZAHN3 Hocevar 4d ago

Because they can 🤷🏼‍♂️

6

u/V8s4Life 4d ago

Chevy gangbanging a Ford.

Not unexpected.

2

u/SecretMoonmanAlt 4d ago

Going beyond that, Chevy was even ratfucking their own. Suarez and Haley couldn't expect a push from any of those guys at the end because Hendrick has team orders to get Bowman into the playoffs.

1

u/V8s4Life 4d ago

Gotta listen to the folks that write your checks. 

0

u/SecretMoonmanAlt 4d ago

Suarez and Haley are the ones who really needed to do well these past few weeks and Chevy decided for them that their season is over. It's one thing for the manufacturer to help their own, but I cannot imagine a team owner feeling much allegiance to Chevy after that display if their name isn't Rick Hendrick.

2

u/V8s4Life 4d ago

Suarez and Haley have been sucking left hind tit all year long, that is why. 

You want the love, you gotta sparkle ✨ .

EDIT: also, even if one had pulled it off, they would have been cannon fodder.

0

u/SecretMoonmanAlt 4d ago

It's not just about the drivers. Rick Hendrick gets manufacturer help to get his worst driver into the playoffs when he's already got three in. Spire can't even depend on them to help get one in. Childress last year pointed out that NASCAR effectively penalized them millions of dollars by booting Austin Dillon from the playoffs, now Chevy is doing the same to multiple teams.

It's a pattern that will bite them long term.

1

u/V8s4Life 4d ago

800 pound gorilla rules the roost.

11

u/MathiasTheGiant 4d ago

People harping on Bowman are missing the forest for the trees. Larson was not going to win riding behind Preece. He took a run and got himself to the front of the line. If it weren't for the godlike run Custer, Blaney, Suarez, and company got to make the 3rd lane, Larson was gonna be right there with Haley and Jones for the win.

4

u/Rampantlion513 4d ago

If Chase was capable of pushing he would’ve been right there for the win too

5

u/Klendy Larson 4d ago

That run materialized because Larson put preece in the sucker hole

1

u/funnyman6979 4d ago

People harping have to remember how Logano made it in last year!

17

u/BravesDoug Byron 4d ago

Chevy is the strongest "team orders" OEM and the Penske guys don't help anyone but themselves (and sometimes not even then)....you knew as soon as 60 broke the link to 17 the Hendrick guys were going to leave him hanging. 60 and 17 needed to stay connected until the last turn on the last lap.

I saw that coming as soon as it happened. I hated it, I really wanted an RFK car in the playoffs.

2

u/Gamer0024 Ryan Blaney 4d ago

What you talking about Penske only help themselves? Only reason Blaney got to the lead was working with Custer to push him from 12th to the lead and Blaney was lucky enough to get a push from Suarez to get past Custer when Haley blocked Custer on backstretch.

8

u/Nyrfan2017 4d ago

Simple answer stupid win and your in rules . Making one restrictor plate race mean way to much for the final ten races ..  this system creates way to much manipulation by teams  

0

u/funnyman6979 4d ago

Agree, I can’t get into this stage point stuff anyway don’t rely on a restricted track to get into the playoffs.

5

u/Much_Path6902 4d ago

OEM/Team orders

3

u/halfthesub 4d ago

Yup. Preece did everything right and what he could do but he had the worst people behind him to help which was none so you knew he was a sitting duck. If it was Chris behind him, things are different today.

2

u/Klendy Larson 4d ago

Preece did not do everything right. He chose to leave the bottom with his teammate to lead the top ahead of a line with no fords and two HMS cars directly behind

3

u/MaleficentNet2037 4d ago

It's not really a Chevy or HMS thing. Id assume the only people that would not have attempted to pass him would have been Fords with wins. Any Toyota or any FRM and probably the 17 (Id think BK would have stuck with him) would have attempted to pass him to.

1

u/TheUnknown_General 4d ago

Because with all the speed he was losing, getting behind him would cause a collision.