Ryan Preece miraculously avoided any significant injuries after his horrific crash at the Daytona International Speedway last Saturday, but that doesn’t mean he was spared any harm.
Preece’s No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford flipped 10 times on Lap 156 of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, prompting his admission to the hospital following the horrific crash at Daytona.
Amazingly, the 32-year-old was ultimately cleared to take part in the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. If any individual who wasn’t a doctor had seen Preece’s eyes the day before the Cup Series race, they might not have been able to agree with the diagnosis at the time.
During a press conference with drivers and journalists that took place before the Saturday Xfinity Series race, Preece was questioned about his eyes. Preece removed his sunglasses right away, showing off his bloodshot eyes and bulging eye bags.
“What I want you all to know is racing in general … it’s dangerous,” he said. “There’s consequences to everything.”
Preece added that his vision is unimpaired and that the inflammation was due to the blood vessels rupture as a result of the flip, which is not uncommon.
After his Daytona crash, Preece was officially ruled out of the NASCAR playoffs. Just a few laps before the crash last week, he was running third. Chris Buescher ultimately prevailed at Daytona, and Bubba Wallace claimed the final playoff spot while Preece came in at 31st place.
