● Ryan Preece and the No. 41 Bonanza Cabernet Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing head west this weekend for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 267-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval will mark Preece’s 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas and his fourth with Stewart-Haas racing. Best among his previous nine outings was his 15th-place finish in March 2021, which came on the heels of his previous best finish of 19th in September 2020, both while driving for JTG Daugherty Racing. His first three outings with Stewart-Haas resulted in finishes of 23rd in the past two March races, and 26th in October 2023.
● Preece has three Las Vegas starts outside of the NASCAR Cup Series – two in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Best of his Xfinity Series outings was his sixth-place finish for Joe Gibbs Racing in September 2018, which bettered his 18th-place finish for owner Johnny Davis in March 2018. Preece’s lone Truck Series race at Las Vegas in March 2022 resulted in a fourth-place finish from the fifth starting position with three laps led in a David Gilliland Racing entry.
● Joining Preece at Las Vegas is Bonanza, a California Cabernet Sauvignon created by Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards. The wine’s name is inspired by the “bonanza” of the great state of California, where diverse vineyard land that produces delicious Cabernet can be found. Preece got to enjoy the fruits of his labor quite literally in June 2023 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Preece competed in the ARCA Menards Series West race and dominated from start to finish. He won the pole and led twice for a race-high 50 laps, including the final 32 tours around the 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course to take the victory by a commanding 9.675 seconds over runner-up Sammy Smith. It was Preece’s first ARCA victory and the first ARCA win for Stewart-Haas. From his race-winning chalice in victory lane, Preece sipped on Bonanza, soaking in the moment amid TV interviews and photographs.
● Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie Sr., opened Caymus Vineyards in 1972, starting off with 240 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. Based at its original “home ranch” in Rutherford, California – deep in the heart of Napa Valley Wine Country – Caymus Vineyards remains a hands-on family affair. In addition to their celebrated Cabernet Sauvignons, Chuck and two of his children – Charlie and Jenny – produce diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Said Preece about partnering with Caymus Vineyards and its Bonanza brand: “Representing Caymus Vineyards and Bonanza at Sonoma allowed me to see just how hands-on the Wagner family is when it comes to their winemaking. It’s impressive, and it’s something I can really appreciate. I’m hands-on with my racecars because I want them to be the very best. They have the same mindset at Caymus. That’s why they’re a great partner for our race team.”
Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 Bonanza Cabernet Ford Mustang Dark Horse
You’ve had a good stretch of runs on intermediate-style tracks. Do you feel that bodes well for your prospects this weekend at Las Vegas?
“Las Vegas is tricky because as much as the mile-and-a-half tracks are what people like to call cookie cutter, there are a lot of characteristics and other elements that play a factor in your setup, as well as how the car drives and what the strengths of it are. But I’m excited. I say that because I feel like, between Indy and Pocono and Kansas, we’ve been going down a good path that I think will benefit us going into Las Vegas. I do feel like we can go to Vegas and use it to continue building on a strong end to the year.”
What sets Las Vegas apart from the other 1.5-mile ovals in the NASCAR Cup Series?
“Vegas, with its tunnel turn and the bumps and all those things, I would say it’s definitely different from some of the other mile-and-a-halves. As grippy as it can be, it can be a challenge, so I would say it’s its own animal.”
You’re down to the home stretch of the season with just four races remaining. What do you want to accomplish before season’s end?
“We just need to continue focusing on consistency, getting the most out of practice and qualifying, and running well during the race. That means I’ve got to be on it, we’ve got to be on it with strategy and on pit road. All of it keeps coming together and, even though all of the results don’t show it, we’re getting there. This team is working really hard on putting it all together and capitalizing on that. We just want to be consistent all the way through to the end of the year.”
Would you consider yourself a Las Vegas person – the kind who hits the blackjack table and finds a good restaurant each night, or are you the kind who tries to find quiet places while keeping your body clock on Eastern Time?
“I think I’m a little bit of both. I’m somebody who likes the quiet, so when I do find a blackjack table or a roulette table, it’s pretty empty for the most part. I do enjoy playing your typical casino games. I’m a racecar driver, so I gamble every day of my life. It’s no different when I go to Vegas and decide to visit a casino to see if I can make some money.”
● Event: South Point 400 (Round 33 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 20
● Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
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