Ryan Preece may have been more nervous than excited standing in Victory Lane on Friday after winning the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour All-Star Shootout.

Preece dove under leader Ryan Newman in Turn 1 on the last lap and it led to contact for the win. Preece pushed Newman up the track, got under the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran, and slid up into him to complete the pass.

That’s not exactly how the 2013 Modified Tour champion intended to win the race.

“I was actually a little worried about him coming over to Victory Lane after the race,” Preece said. “Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of mood he would be in after that. Ryan has been a great person. He’s always offered up plenty of information, so you never want controversy like that to win a race.”

There was actually no reason to fret because Newman greeted Preece in the media center with a hearty smile.

“He was just in a better position,” Newman said. “I don’t think he hit me on purpose by any means. He had position. I stuck it down in there on the outside of him trying to hold him down, and he knocked me into the marbles. I wish we could’ve raced to the checkered, but it was a heck of a race.”

READ MORE: NASCAR Modified Tour All-Star Recap and Results

Preece tracked Newman down in the closing laps and got to the back of Newman’s No. 77. For several laps, Preece tried to set up his winning moving, pushing Newman down the frontstretch.

The crescendo unraveled with two laps to go when Preece tried diving underneath Newman in Turn 1. The car didn’t stick, so Preece tried again the very next lap. The two touched, and Preece went on to take the checkered flag.

The two will spar again tomorrow in the Eastern Propone and Oil 100, but the stakes will be higher, as championship points are on the line for Preece.

The contact only strengthened Newman’s desire to return to Victory Lane in a NASCAR Modified Tour race.

“I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow,” Newman said. “He’s gotta worry about me for a hundred laps.”