BERLIN — NASCAR driver Ryan Preece returned to his hometown, drawing a large crowd of family, friends and fans to Tavern on the Tracks for a visit that blended celebration, community and local pride.
Preece, who now drives the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, spent the evening serving drinks, signing autographs and talking with supporters. The Berlin native, who began his racing career on local short tracks, said returning home remains one of the most meaningful parts of his journey.
“I grew up in Berlin, so coming home, this is something that I love doing, just because of the people,” Preece told the Herald. “I feel like being from Berlin, seeing how Farmington Ave. is really developed, and it’s all family-owned businesses.”
Preece’s career began in Connecticut’s highly competitive short-track racing scene, where drivers often start at a young age and work their way through local divisions. He raced at tracks such as Silver City in Meriden and later built a name for himself in the Whelen Modified Tour, a regional series known for producing skilled drivers.
“I don’t feel like I’d be the racer I am or the person I am today if I weren’t racing here,” he said. “Specifically, in Connecticut, there are a lot of hard-working racers with a lot of passion behind why they do it. And it starts at a really young age.”
From those early days, Preece advanced through the ranks, eventually reaching NASCAR’s national divisions. He gained broader recognition after strong performances in modified racing and later earned opportunities in NASCAR’s top series.
His move to Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK Racing), a top-tier American professional stock car organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series, marked a key step in his career, giving him access to more competitive equipment.
“The tough part about racing is if you don’t have a fast car, you’re just not going to go fast. You can’t drive a slow car fast,” he said. “As a racer that grew up racing on the wheel of a modified tour, there were a lot of lessons that I learned along the way before I got here. How aggressive to be and not to be, and the level of respect that you have to be,” he recalled.
Thursday’s event came together simply, but quickly turned into a busy night as word spread that the hometown driver would be back in Berlin. Preece said the idea started during a recent conversation while planning travel around his racing schedule.
Inside Tavern on the Tracks, fans lined up to meet him, many sharing stories of watching his career grow from local races to the national stage. For young fans who look to him for advice and hope to follow a similar path, Preece encourages them to follow their dreams.
“Don’t listen to somebody if they have an opinion of what you’re doing and how you’re doing it,” he said. “If it’s your dream, chase after it.”
Despite traveling across the country for races, Preece said Berlin remains central to his identity. He still refers to it as home and returns whenever his schedule allows, often visiting familiar places and spending time with family.
For him, Tavern on the Tracks remains one of the most special places in town.
“Whenever I come here, this is outside of me going to my father’s house and working in the shop. This is the place that I consider where you meet all your friends,” he said.
The event also highlighted the strong connection between local communities and athletes who reach national levels. For many in attendance, Preece represents what can grow out of Connecticut’s racing scene, a path built on hard work, local support and persistence.
Looking ahead, Preece is set to continue his NASCAR season with races at major tracks, including Talladega, Kansas and Texas. But for one night, the focus stayed on Berlin, where a hometown driver returned not just as a professional athlete, but as a familiar face behind the bar, reconnecting with the community that helped shape his career.