As we get into “The Underdog House” this season, the question arises on who an underdog is in the NASCAR Cup Series and how they are included in this column. At the end of this column, you can find a list of teams and drivers who will be included in this weekly analysis. Underdogs are determined based on whether they have had sustained success or not, if the team lacks the resources or strength of the major teams, and potentially if a driver missed the playoffs and missed the top 20 in points the previous season.
Top Dog: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Wow! That’s about as much as I can say to describe the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 25). In nearly two decades of watching NASCAR since I was a toddler, that was truly one of the best races I have ever seen.
For the underdogs, the potential top dog position mirrored that of the battle for race control. As one underdog looked as if they were going to assume control of the dark horses, circumstances quickly changed, typical of superspeedway racing.
As attrition wore on and brought the race to its closing stages, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. emerged in the thick of the chaos. The 2023 Daytona 500 champion quietly worked his way up to the front, scoring a sixth-place finish.
Stenhouse’s result was a drastic shift from what it was shaping up to be mid-race. Lost in the frenzy of a tumultuous green flag pit stop cycle was the fact that Stenhouse was among several drivers caught by the pit road police for speeding. With the penalty coming on lap 140, just over 100 laps from the checkered flag, it was a tall order for the 36-year-old to overcome.
The Olive Branch, Miss. native would get back on the lead lap in the final stage, and the aid of several cautions got him back in the race little by little.
With just over 10 laps remaining, a caution flew for an incident involving Chase Elliott and Josh Berry. And what seemed to occur out of the blue was Stenhouse sitting just outside the top five in sixth.
In the closing laps, Stenhouse kept himself in the hunt but was boxed on all sides, preventing him from making a charge for the win. Still, he was able to keep his nose clean and grab a crucial top-10 result a week after crashing in the Daytona 500.
Keeping his nose clean proved to be more valuable than assumed on paper. Stenhouse was one of just three drivers who were not involved in an incident during the race. The other two were Ryan Blaney and Austin…
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