Ricky Stenhouse Jr. may have recently grabbed headlines for his run-in with Carson Hocevar, but when it comes to tallying trophies, his NASCAR Cup résumé remains modest. Over a 14-year career at stock car racing’s highest level, Stenhouse has only found Victory Lane four times, with a total of 12 wins across all NASCAR-sanctioned events. However, before donning a firesuit with Cup credentials, he made a name for himself as one of the best in the USAC National Sprint Car ranks, a performance that opened the door to Tony Stewart’s midget and sprint car program and ultimately caught NASCAR teams’ eyes.
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It was back in 2007 when Stenhouse turned heads at Manzanita Speedway, snatching two wins in three races during the Copper on Dirt showcase. By capturing both the USAC National Sprint Car and Silver Crown features, he showed he wasn’t just a one-trick pony, mastering both winged and non-winged machinery with equal finesse.
Opportunity soon came knocking. With Tracey Hines sidelined by an off-track injury, Tony Stewart Racing tapped Stenhouse to fill the seat. He wasted no time making a splash. Just two starts into his TSR stint, he wheeled the No. 21 machine to victory in USAC National Midget Car Series competition at Tri-State Speedway.
And that was the time he believed his life took a big turn. Reflecting on the career-defining chapter during the Nashville Game Changers podcast hosted by Emmy Award-winner Jill Jelnick, Stenhouse appreciated the impact that moment had on his journey.
He said, “I would say that one of the biggest ones was in 2007. I went out to Arizona to race in February at this big dirt race out there and we ended up winning two of the three races in one night. Tony Stewart had his sprint car team out there…
“And then one of Tony Stewart’s drivers ended up, about a month later, getting hurt. And so they called me to take his place, and I ran the rest of that year for him. Moved to Indianapolis right out of high school.
“Ran for him that year. And then I ended up signing my contract with Roush Fenway Racing back then, and at the end of 2007. So, like from February, January of 2007 to October of 2007, a lot changed for me.”
Eventually, Stenhouse established himself as a front-runner in the ARCA Series in 2008, setting the wheels in motion for a long, even if turbulent, ride through NASCAR’s top ranks.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s career trajectory afterward
Stenhouse stepped up to the Xfinity Series in 2009, where he wasted no time making his presence felt. He won his first career pole at Iowa Speedway and racked up one top-five and two top-10 finishes in just seven appearances, showing he was no flash in the pan.
However, his breakout year came in 2011. Not only did Stenhouse win the Xfinity Series title, but he also got his first taste of Cup Series action. Filling in for an ailing Trevor Bayne for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Stenhouse started off ninth and brought the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford home in 11th, making a strong first impression in NASCAR’s top flight.
The following year, Stenhouse doubled down on his momentum. He went back-to-back, claiming a second consecutive Xfinity Series championship with a commanding tally of six victories, 19 top-five finishes, and 26 top-10s.
On the Cup side, he made four starts and posted a best finish of 12th at Dover’s fall race, inching ever closer to becoming a full-time contender in NASCAR’s premier division. A full-time Cup seat came calling in 2013 and Stenhouse has been on the grid ever since.
