Ryan Preece knows who will guide him and the No. 60 team during his inaugural season with RFK Racing. He will join forces with NASCAR veteran Derrick Finley.
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RFK Racing announced the news on Jan. 14 and provided details about Finley's background. A graduate of the University of New Mexico, Finley has served in a variety of roles during his time with different teams. His titles include Director of Operations, Technical Director, and Competition Director.
"We're thrilled to have Derrick lead the No. 60 team," said RFK driver/co-owner Brad Keselowski in a statement. "His experience and technical knowledge of the sport will play a crucial role in the initial development and growth of the No. 60 team."
Finley, who joined RFK Racing in 2022, has extensive experience working as a crew chief. He first guided Todd Bodine for 18 Cup Series races in 2003 and then he worked with Scott Wimmer in 2004-05.
Finley has since guided such drivers as Michael Waltrip, Travis Kvapil, David Ragan, Brett Moffitt, David Gilliland, and Chris Buescher. His tenure includes full seasons with Ragan and Michael McDowell.
The New Mexico native most recently guided three different drivers during the 2024 season. He was the crew chief for RFK Racing's Stage 60 which featured Ragan in the Daytona 500, Supercars driver Cam Waters at Sonoma, and Joey Hand on the streets of Chicago. Hand finished fourth in the street race after winning a stage.
Finley will now join forces with Preece, who has 187 starts at NASCAR's top level. The Connecticut native comes to RFK Racing with four career top-five finishes, 16 top-10s, and one pole win. His best career finish was third at Talladega Superspeedway in 2019.
"Derrick will be a big help in getting the team integrated in the RFK processes," Preece said in a statement. "His experience with the procedures the organization has in place will help lay the foundation for the No. 60 car."
