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Ryan Preece has become NASCAR\u2019s unofficial test dummy for airborne disasters. Every time the sport introduces new safety measures, fans can\u2019t help but wonder: Will this finally keep the Connecticut driver grounded? With NASCAR\u2019s latest A-Post flap update ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the internet has already decided Preece will find a way to defy physics again.<\/p>\n
Why Are NASCAR Fans Convinced Ryan Preece Will Still Go Airborne?<\/p>\n
Superspeedway races deliver high-speed, bumper-to-bumper racing that often turns into high-octane drama. That\u2019s something Ryan Preece knows all too well.<\/p>\n
NASCAR has shifted its focus again to driver safety with a new update to the next-gen car. The goal is to prevent cars from getting airborne, which can be disastrous at those speeds. This move has amused NASCAR fans, who wonder if the update is Preece-tested.<\/p>\n
Superspeedways showcase how wild things can get in NASCAR. They\u2019ve also been the driving force behind NASCAR\u2019s focus on driver safety as its top priority. Rusty Wallace\u2019s 1993 crashes at Daytona and Talladega partially led to the introduction of roof flaps to keep cars grounded. Dale Earnhardt Sr.\u2019s tragic death in the 2001 Daytona 500\u00a0led to the introduction of HANS devices and SAFER barriers.<\/p>\n
NASCAR hasn\u2019t seen any fatalities since the Intimidator\u2019s crash, but there have still been horrendous crashes at superspeedways. Josh Berry flew off the track<\/a> in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in 2024. In the race\u2019s final stages, his car got airborne, crashed into the inside wall, and spun over its head for 10 seconds before stopping. Everyone was surprised by how Berry walked out unscathed.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where NASCAR gets credit for driver safety. Cars getting airborne is still scary and dangerous, so NASCAR isn\u2019t taking any chances. Ahead of this year\u2019s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, they have a safety update<\/a> in place. Journalist Bozi Tatarevic recently shared the news on X.<\/p>\n He wrote,<\/a> \u201cNASCAR has issued a rules bulletin that includes updates showing the new A-Post flap for use on Superspeedway.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans aren\u2019t sold on how this addition would keep cars grounded. Instead, they\u2019ve started a meme-fest about how Preece is still going to fly at Daytona. The Connecticut native hasn\u2019t had the best luck on superspeedways. Preece\u2019s No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford flipped nearly a dozen times after hitting the backstretch grass in 2023. Even in the 2025 Daytona 500, Preece had one of the scariest crashes<\/a> NASCAR has ever seen.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n What Are Fans Saying About the New Safety Update?<\/p>\n This history has fans taking jabs at the new update. One fan wrote,<\/a> \u201cHas it been Ryan Preece tested, or are we gonna trial by fire this thing again?\u201d Another fan shared<\/a> a video of a car flying off the track, predicting Preece\u2019s fate early in the Daytona race.<\/p>\n Other than testing it in real-life scenarios, it\u2019s hard to tell if this update would actually prevent cars from going airborne. NASCAR has often discussed how the underbody on the next-gen car causes vehicles to go flying in crashes. Since the change doesn\u2019t affect that, we could see someone get airborne in the Daytona race. Fans are certain it\u2019s going to be Preece again.<\/p>\n One fan shared a photo<\/a> of a disappointed Dale Jr. with the caption, \u201cNASCAR when all the flaps deploy at once and somehow send Ryan Preece into the lake at Daytona in a never-ending airborne barrel roll.\u201d<\/p>\n Another fan echoing the same sentiment wrote,<\/a> \u201cSomehow and someway, Preece will find a way to flip next month.\u201d<\/p>\n