Ryan Preece emerged as one of the strongest competitors during Sunday's YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, leading 23 laps before finishing 13th. The RFK Racing driver started 19th and played an important role in his team's unusual strategy during the opening stage.

While most competitors focused on conserving fuel, Preece joined teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski in an aggressive drafting formation that separated them from the rest of the field. The three RFK Fords built an enormous advantage before the first round of green-flag pit stops.

Preece led portions of the opening stage and ultimately finished second behind Buescher. His afternoon became more complicated when he was collected in the 12-car accident on Lap 132, but his team kept the No. 60 Ford competitive.

Preece completed the race on the lead lap and crossed the finish line 13th, collecting 33 points through his finishing position and stage performance. The result moved him up one position to 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase standings with 2,192 points.

However, Preece trails championship leader Kyle Larson by 249 points and has been mathematically eliminated from title contention. He will attempt to finish his Chase campaign strongly during the remaining two races at Martinsville and Homestead-Miami.