The Rise and Fall of Ricky Stenhouse Jr: A Look at the Career of a NASCAR Driver

Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Introduction

Ricky Stenhouse Jr is an American professional stock car racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has been racing for over a decade and has established himself as one of the top drivers in the sport. However, his career has not been without its ups and downs. In this blog, we will take a closer look at the rise and fall of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Early Career

Ricky Stenhouse Jr was born on October 2, 1987, in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He began his racing career at the age of six, racing go-karts on local dirt tracks. He moved on to racing midgets and sprint cars, and eventually made his way to NASCAR.

Stenhouse made his NASCAR debut in 2011, driving in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing. He won his first race that same year at Iowa Speedway and went on to win the series championship in both 2011 and 2012. His success in the Nationwide Series led to his promotion to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2013.

Rise to Prominence

In his early years in the Cup Series, Stenhouse struggled to find success. However, in 2017, he broke through with his first Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway. He followed that up with another win later that year at Daytona International Speedway.

Stenhouse's success in 2017 earned him a spot in the NASCAR playoffs, where he finished a career-best 13th in the championship standings. He continued to perform well in 2018, earning four top-five finishes and finishing 18th in the standings.

Fall from Grace

Unfortunately, Stenhouse's success was short-lived. In 2019, he struggled on the track, earning just two top-five finishes and finishing 23rd in the championship standings. He failed to make the playoffs and was eventually released from his contract with Roush Fenway Racing.

In 2020, Stenhouse joined JTG Daugherty Racing, but his struggles continued. He earned just two top-ten finishes and finished 24th in the championship standings. His disappointing season led to questions about his future in the sport.

Looking Ahead

Despite his recent struggles, Ricky Stenhouse Jr remains a talented driver with the potential to succeed in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career and has the support of his team at JTG Daugherty Racing.

Stenhouse will need to put together a strong season in 2021 to silence his critics and prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport. With his talent and determination, he has the potential to become one of NASCAR's top drivers once again.

Conclusion

Ricky Stenhouse Jr's career has been marked by both success and struggle. He has shown himself to be a talented driver with the ability to compete at the highest level of the sport, but he has also faced his fair share of setbacks. Despite his recent struggles, Stenhouse remains a driver to watch in the NASCAR Cup Series. With his talent and determination, he has the potential to rise to prominence once again and cement his place as one of the top drivers in the sport.