‘Him and I have had problems,’ Ryan Preece confirms bad history with Ty Gibbs as the reason behind Texas incident

NASCAR officials did not mince words following Sunday’s tense Cup Series clash at Texas Motor Speedway, slapping Ryan Preece with a massive $50,000 fine and a crippling 25-point penalty for intentionally wrecking Ty Gibbs. The severe punishment came immediately after a heated on-track exchange that ultimately ended Gibbs’ afternoon in the wall and sparked intense debate across the garage area.

This ruling instantly shakes up the championship standings and sends a glaring message to the rest of the field about the limits of on-track policing. For a sport built on aggressive driving and self-regulation, the heavy penalty clearly defines the boundaries of modern stock car retaliation. When a driver admits to taking matters into their own hands, the governing body is proving they will not hesitate to step in and alter a season.

The disciplinary action was officially confirmed in the NASCAR Cup Series penalty report. It directly cited Sections 4.3 and 4.4.A set of member conduct guidelines regarding the wrecking of another vehicle.

Furthermore, the penalty arrived shortly after Preece made highly candid comments during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, in which he essentially admitted to holding a grudge against the No. 45 Toyota driver and to choosing not to cut him any slack.

1. The Boiling Point at Texas Motor Speedway

The bad blood finally spilled over during the second stage of the race at Texas. Entering Turn 1 on Lap 103, Gibbs charged hard on the inside, sliding up aggressively toward the left front of the No. 60 Ford. The aggressive maneuver cost Preece valuable track position, instantly lighting a fuse that had apparently been burning for quite some time. Preece immediately keyed his radio, unleashing a furious, unfiltered rant to his RFK Racing crew. He made his intentions crystal clear to his spotter and crew chief. Eventually, he confirmed that he was completely done with the young Toyota driver. Preece voiced his frustration with fast cars getting away with moves. Moments later, that promise was fulfilled. The two drivers found themselves fighting for the same piece of asphalt. Preece stayed glued to Gibbs’ bumper through the corner, applying intense aerodynamic and physical pressure. Gibbs ultimately lost control of his loose race car, spinning violently into the outside retaining wall. While the No. 45 Toyota sustained catastrophic damage to the front and right side, relegating Gibbs to a 36th-place finish, Preece drove away completely clean and eventually crossed the finish line in a respectable 14th place.

2. The Unwritten Rules of the Garage

In the immediate aftermath, Preece refused to back down from his actions. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he pulled back the curtain on the unwritten code that governs the stock car racing fraternity. Preece explained that he was well aware he could have lifted off the throttle to give Gibbs a break, but he actively chose not to. According to Preece, the lack of leniency was a direct result of past run-ins between the two competitors. He noted that they have had unresolved problems in the past, leading to a drastically shortened fuse whenever they race around each other. “He almost or pretty much was very close clear getting into three. And I could lift, but I didn’t. I was right there, and I felt like he came down, and I was not going to cut him a break because in the past, him and I have had problems. So I’ve got a little bit of a short fuse with him, and I, with how we’re racing. And ultimately, I didn’t feel like I hit him. I felt like I stayed right on him, and he got loose. And from there on, unfortunately, he wrecked, but I think that’s just the way it is,” He said.

3. A Glaring Officiating Controversy

The heavy sanctions imposed on Preece have also sparked a firestorm of controversy over NASCAR’s consistency in the tower. The frustration stems from a nearly identical incident that occurred earlier in the very same race. Veteran driver Kyle Busch found himself in a similar physical altercation with John Hunter Nemechek, resulting in Nemechek crashing out. However, Busch completely avoided any disciplinary action from the sanctioning body. The entire fraternity immediately pointed out the double standard. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was among the vocal critics questioning the logic behind punishing one driver while letting another walk away clean for a highly similar offense. The glaring difference is the audio evidence. Because Preece explicitly broadcast his anger and intent over the team radio moments before the crash, NASCAR had the proof required to enforce its behavioral clauses. It serves as a stark reminder that in the modern era of racing, what a driver says on the radio is just as scrutinized as what they do with the steering wheel. Preece and his RFK Racing team now have to dig out of a significant points hole. The 25-point deduction is a massive blow to their playoff aspirations. The $50,000 fine also serves as a painful financial sting for a driver fighting to solidify his place in the sport’s top tier. As the Cup Series packs up and prepares for the upcoming road course battle at Watkins Glen, all eyes will be glued to the No. 60 and No. 45 camps. NASCAR has clearly drawn its line in the sand with this penalty, warning the entire garage that blatant retaliation will be costly. But in a sport fueled by ego and adrenaline, unresolved bad blood rarely disappears after a fine. The real question is how Ty Gibbs will choose to respond the next time he finds Preece in his crosshairs.

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