Ryan Preece will replace Cole Custer as the driver of the #41 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2023, according to a move that Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed and announced just now.
Custer will return to the Xfinity Series and compete there exclusively for Stewart-Haas.
Preece took out a loan to pay for two Xfinity races with Joe Gibbs Racing, but some drivers rise to the top through sponsorship income.
Preece finished second and first in those races, realizing that this was probably his only chance to excel in top gear. With fourth and fifth-place finishes in the two additional races that season,
he won a contract the next year to compete in 15 races before switching to the Cup Series in 2019.
Preece performed his best with JTG-Daugherty Racing with the equipment he had, but when the team switched to a single car team, Preece was left out.