While most sports demand strict training and physical stamina, NASCAR requires far more than that. Drivers must maintain rhythm without the luxury of extensive practice time, even on a new track, and their weekly schedules are anything but predictable. Sponsor commitments, track events, family responsibilities, and simulator sessions all compete for attention. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. offered a candid glimpse into this unconventional routine during his talk on Nashville Game Changers.
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“Our race days, they change every Sunday,” Stenhouse explained. “I might have two or three appearances before the race, or… have five appearances before the race. So, it’s not like you can get up at a certain time and like, you have these two or three hours to yourself. That would be nice, but we have a lot of fan things to do, engagements at the racetrack.”
“We got sponsors that we got to do stuff for. We do things for the track. And so, like your schedule’s never the same. And so our sport is unique, where when a lot of athletes come in, they can’t believe that we go from doing all of this stuff to all of a sudden you do the prayer, the national anthem, turn around, shake hands with your team guys, jump in the car, and go,” he continued.
Athletes in other sports often need hours to prepare, find focus, and get into rhythm. NASCAR drivers, however, must flip the switch instantly. Stenhouse believes that’s what sets the sport apart, and why newcomers struggle to comprehend it.
On the mental and physical grind, Stenhouse kept it simple: “When the racecar is good, it’s very easy.” He likened it to a pitcher locked into the zone, tuning everything else out. But when the setup falters and the car won’t respond, the mental toll grows heavier.
Stress is inevitable. Whether chasing the win from fifth or clawing back from 20th to 15th, drivers constantly chip away, one lap at a time. External factors only add to the challenge; poorly timed cautions, sluggish pit stops, or sheer misfortune can derail a run.
The key, Stenhouse said, is limiting mistakes, avoiding penalties, and seizing any stroke of luck that comes their way. That’s how most drivers, himself included, keep the stress from boiling over.
