Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Bio
Richard Lynn Stenhouse Jr. (born October 2, 1987) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 47 Chevrolet ZL1 for Hyak Motorsports. Stenhouse was the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and won back-to-back Nationwide Series championships in 2011 and 2012. He also earned the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year award and is the 2023 Daytona 500 winner. Over a career that began on dirt ovals, he has built a reputation for superspeedway success and steady improvement at the national level.
Early Life and Background
Stenhouse was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and was raised in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He is the son of Ricky Stenhouse Sr. and Lisa Stenhouse, and grew up surrounded by racing culture in the Mid-South. He started karting at the age of six, where he collected 47 wins and 90 podium finishes before moving into sprint car racing in 2003. That early mix of dirt-track experience and family support shaped the foundation of his driving style.
As a young racer, Stenhouse became the first Mississippian to attempt a full-time national NASCAR schedule since Lake Speed in 1997. He remains a devoted Ole Miss Rebels football fan, and in 2014 he led the Rebels onto the field before the Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State. Off the track, he is a devout Baptist and a fan of classic country music.
Path to NASCAR
Stenhouse began his sprint car career in 360 cubic-inch winged sprint cars in 2003, winning the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver Poll and the Dirt Winged Sprint Car Rookie of the Year that same season. He moved into the USAC sprint car series in 2004 and added National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver Poll Wild Card awards in both 360 and 410 winged divisions in 2006. In 2007, he earned dual USAC Rookie of the Year honors in the sprint car and midget series, and he also won the Knoxville Midget Nationals and the 4-Crown Nationals Midget race.
In 2008, Stenhouse transitioned to stock cars with Roush Fenway Racing in the ARCA Racing Series. In only his sixth ARCA start, he won the Drive Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150 at Kentucky Speedway, and he finished his rookie season with two wins in 21 races, ranking fourth in points. That performance earned him a part-time ride in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2009, setting the stage for a full-time move to NASCAR in 2010.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Career
Early Career (2008–2010)
Stenhouse made his first major-league stock car start in the 2008 ARCA Racing Series with Roush Fenway Racing, winning twice and finishing fourth in points. He moved into the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2009 with a part-time schedule, scoring his first top-ten finish at Kentucky Speedway and then leading 46 laps at Milwaukee on his way to a fifth-place result. Those performances helped him earn a full-time Nationwide ride for 2010.
The 2010 season started with heavy crashes, including four DNFs in the first ten races, and Stenhouse was briefly replaced by Brian Ickler and Billy Johnson. After bringing veteran Mike Kelley on as crew chief, his results improved, with seven top-ten finishes and a strong battle with Brian Scott for top rookie honors. Stenhouse clinched the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year award with a fourth-place run at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
NASCAR Nationwide Series Breakthrough (2011–2012)
On May 22, 2011, Stenhouse held off Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski over the final 18 laps to win the John Deere Dealers 250 at Iowa Speedway, his first career national-series victory. He won at Iowa again later that season, this time with a wild finish in which teammate Carl Edwards rear-ended his slowing car and pushed it across the line. With 16 top-five finishes, he clinched the 2011 Nationwide Series championship by 45 points over Elliott Sadler.
In 2012, Stenhouse opened the year by winning the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas and added victories at Texas, Iowa, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Kansas. He again held off Elliott Sadler to claim his second consecutive Nationwide Series championship, capping one of the most dominant two-year stretches in series history. Across his Nationwide career, he recorded 8 wins, 63 top-ten finishes, and 8 poles.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Career (2011–2019)
Stenhouse made his Cup Series debut at the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 in a Wood Brothers Racing entry, finishing 11th as a substitute for Trevor Bayne. He moved to the No. 17 Ford full-time in 2013, replacing Matt Kenseth at Roush Fenway Racing, and paired with rookie crew chief Scott Graves. He won his first Cup pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway, scored multiple top-ten finishes, and ended the year as the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
The 2014 and 2015 seasons were difficult for both Stenhouse and Roush Fenway Racing, with limited top-ten runs. In 2017, however, he broke through with a dramatic last-lap pass of Kyle Busch to win the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, ending a 101-race winless drought for the team. He added a second victory later that summer at Daytona, advanced through the first round of the playoffs, and was eliminated in the second round. Across his Cup career through 2019, he had established himself as a superspeedway threat with the No. 17 team.
JTG Daugherty Racing Era (2020–2024)
After being replaced at Roush Fenway Racing for 2020, Stenhouse signed with JTG Daugherty Racing and moved into the No. 47 Chevrolet. He opened the new chapter by winning the pole for the 2020 Daytona 500 and narrowly lost the GEICO 500 to Ryan Blaney by 0.007 seconds. He added a 2020 Daytona 500 pole and three top-five finishes in his first season with the team, all of which came early in the year.
Stenhouse’s biggest career moment came in February 2023, when he won the Daytona 500 for his third Cup Series victory and his first playoff berth since 2017. In 2024, after a 31st-place Daytona 500 DNF and an incident with Kyle Busch at the All-Star Race, he bounced back to win the YellaWood 500 at Talladega by 0.006 seconds over Brad Keselowski. Those results cemented his role as a top superspeedway driver in the JTG Daugherty stable.
Hyak Motorsports Era (2025–Present)
Before the 2025 season, JTG Daugherty Racing rebranded as Hyak Motorsports, with Stenhouse continuing as the driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet ZL1. He opened 2025 with an 18th-place finish at the Daytona 500 and climbed as high as 13th in points during a promising first half. A weaker second half kept him out of the playoffs, and he finished the year 30th in the final standings with three top-ten finishes.
Stenhouse began 2026 with a second-place run at the Daytona 500 and signed a contract extension with Hyak Motorsports in May of that year. His partnership with longtime crew chief Mike Kelley, dating back to the 2010 Nationwide season, has remained a constant throughout his Cup career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Stenhouse is best known for his superspeedway craft, where drafting, timing, and patience are crucial. His dirt-track background gives him a feel for sliding cars and managing grip in traffic, and he has built a reputation for late-race moves on the high banks of Talladega and Daytona. Working again with crew chief Mike Kelley has provided the consistency and strategy calls that have powered much of his late-career success.
Notable Races and Milestones
Stenhouse’s signature wins include the 2023 Daytona 500, the 2017 GEICO 500 at Talladega, the 2017 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and the 2024 YellaWood 500 at Talladega. He became one of only a handful of drivers to win in the NASCAR Cup Series, USAC Silver Crown, National Sprint Car, and National Midget divisions, joining a list that includes names like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Career Wins
Stenhouse has built a versatile resume that spans open-wheel dirt racing, ARCA stock cars, the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and the NASCAR Cup Series. His two Nationwide Series championships and his Daytona 500 victory rank as the most prominent achievements of his career. He has also collected high-profile open-wheel wins, including the 2007 Knoxville Midget Nationals and the inaugural 2015 Junior Knepper 55.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Stenhouse has 4 career Cup Series wins, 66 top-ten finishes, and 3 poles. His first victory came at the 2017 GEICO 500 at Talladega, where he passed Kyle Busch on the final lap. After years of close calls, his most recent Cup win came in the 2024 YellaWood 500 at Talladega, edging Brad Keselowski by 0.006 seconds. He also became a Daytona 500 champion in 2023 and a Daytona 500 pole winner in 2020.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Stenhouse won 8 races with 8 poles and 63 top-ten finishes, capturing back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012. In the ARCA Racing Series, he picked up 2 wins and 3 poles in 2008, highlighted by his first stock car victory at Kentucky Speedway. Outside of stock cars, his Knoxville Midget Nationals and 4-Crown Nationals wins in 2007 helped define his early reputation as a versatile open-wheel talent.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 4 | 66 | 3 |
| NASCAR Nationwide Series | 8 | 63 | 8 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 2 | 14 | 3 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Stenhouse is the son of Ricky Stenhouse Sr. and Lisa Stenhouse, and his father has been a steady presence around his racing career. The family has long supported his move from dirt tracks to the top levels of NASCAR, and his father was even suspended by NASCAR in 2024 for his involvement in a post-race incident at the All-Star Race. That suspension was later lifted in September 2024.
Personal Life
Stenhouse was in a long-term relationship with fellow driver Danica Patrick from November 2012 to December 2017. In November 2021, he announced his engagement to Madyson Goodfleisch, originally of Ashville, Ohio, and the couple married on October 26, 2022, in Charleston, South Carolina. They have a son, Stetson Steele Stenhouse. He stands about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs roughly 165 pounds, and he makes his home in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked the debut campaign for Hyak Motorsports, the rebranded JTG Daugherty Racing team, with Stenhouse behind the wheel of the No. 47 Chevrolet ZL1. He started the year 18th at the Daytona 500 and produced a strong first half, scoring ten top-20 finishes in the first 15 races and climbing as high as 13th in the standings. The regular season suggested a possible playoff run as the new team found its footing.
Stenhouse’s form dipped in the second half of the year, and he was unable to add enough top-ten finishes to stay inside the playoff cut line. He ended 2025 ranked 30th in the final Cup Series standings, with three top-ten results across the year. Despite missing the postseason, his superspeedway pace and his established partnership with crew chief Mike Kelley gave the team a clear foundation to build on entering 2026.
