From a professional standpoint, Ryan Preece continues to draw motivation from two lifelong goals. He wants to win and hopes to ride that momentum into a full-time NASCAR Cup Series career.

That ambition has shaped every decision he’s made over the past decade and the recent choice to step away from a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series ride at JD Motorsports was no exception. With no disrespect intended to team owner Johnny Davis and the foundation he’s built, Preece made it clear to Autoweek on Thursday night that he needs to be somewhere capable of winning.

"I feel like I may need to take a step back and look at what the future can hold for me," Preece said. "I could have run another year with Johnny but I feel like that wasn't the best situation for me to be in long-term. Johnny is a great guy, stand-up, and honest so I don't want this to come across the wrong way. I don't regret racing with these guys at all. But after Homestead, I took a couple of weeks to see where I was in my career and decided that I just needed to be someplace where I could win."

Preece is one of the most accomplished short track racers of recent memory with 15 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories and the 2013 season championship. In addition to that, he’s also the winner of countless open rule races and SK Modified events across the northeast.

He built a cult following in the Northeast based on his blue collar background and the frequency in which he visited victory lane. So naturally, a guy like that was drawn to the bright lights and big stage of NASCAR. After making a handful of Xfinity Series starts in 2013 and 2014 for Tommy Baldwin Racing, Preece was able to secure a full-time deal with JD for the 2016 season.

And given the modest resources of the South Carolina based outfit, Preece excelled. He joined the team to gain experience on intermediate speedways and road course and ultimately posted 15 top-20s in 33 starts. He also matched his two teammates as Ross Chastain, Preece and Garrett Smithley finished 16th-18th in the final standings.

In short, Preece accomplished many of his goals and proved that he belonged in national touring. Again, he wants to win and believes he will get lost in the shuffle if he stays in the middle of the pack. Preece cited Brad Keselowski as a driver that excelled in mid-tier equipment and ultimately earned a shot with Hendrick Motorsports and now Team Penske. He wants to follow in the footsteps first laid down by the 2012 Sprint Cup champion.

"I'm not content to just be in the show," Preece said. "I know some people might take this the wrong way and I hope they don't. But I know in my heart that I'm ready to win races. This year was phenominal as far as seat time was concerned. We had some great runs and proved a lot of things to myself and everyone watching.

"Like every kid that grows up doing this, I want to win NASCAR races and make it to Sprint Cup. To do that you have to win races. You have to win somewhere and stay relevant. I just want to do something where I'm winning races."

To that end, Preece is fully committed to returning to the Modified Tour next season to chase a second championship with team owner Ed Partridge. There are a handful of Xfinity Series races that Preece has circled on his schedule and is open to anything from ARCA, K&N to national touring.

Again, he just wants to win and maintain his reputation as a winning driver, thus the decision to step back from national touring until he finds an owner and sponsor that shares his goals.

"I feel like I've made a lot of friends and contacts on the business side of NASCAR this year," Preece said. "Obviously, to make these goals of mine happen, you need that backer that believes in you. You need the right owner and the right partners. I feel like if the right situation came along, I have some partners that would come on board. I've been reaching out to a lot of people.

"At the end of the day, I just want to be in a really good car that has some resources behind it. I learned a lot this year and I’m grateful for the experiences but that's not where I want to be long term."

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