Motorsport News

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Will Return to JTG, But What About Everyone Else?

#47: Ricky Stenhouse Jr, JTG Daugherty Racing, Boost/Thomas'/Philadelphia Chevrolet Camaro

1. Will we see more of Kevin Harvick behind the wheel after All-Star Weekend?

With the announcement that Kevin Harvick would practice and qualify Kyle Larson’s No. 5 car at North Wilkesboro Speedway for All-Star Weekend while Larson is busy with Indianapolis 500 obligations, Harvick joined a growing list of drivers that have come out of supposed retirement less than a year after their final starts.

Of course, Harvick isn’t returning for a points-paying event, and he was adamant about his retirement at the end of 2023 when asked on multiple occasions last season. He also said on his Happy Hour podcast that Rick Hendrick had called him and asked if he could serve as the backup for Larson, and that he couldn’t turn down such an opportunity.

Given all that Harvick has said on the matter, I’m taking his word that he’s still retired. But plenty of his peers have come back for part-time stints after hanging it up, and there’s a chance (as slim as it may be) that he may have the urge for more once he gets behind the wheel again at North Wilkesboro. But regardless, it will be great to see him back behind the wheel to help out Larson in what will be NASCAR’s first Memorial Day Double attempt since Kurt Busch in 2014.

2. How discouraging is it for sponsors and small teams when even success goes unnoticed?

With a ninth-place finish at Dover Motor Speedway in Saturday’s (April 27) NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Anthony Alfredo and Our Motorsports scored the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in their careers. It also marked the second straight week that the bonus was won by a smaller team, as Ryan Sieg and RSS Racing scored the $100K by finishing 17th at Talladega Superspeedway a week prior.

But if you were watching the television broadcast, such a feat might’ve gone under the radar. FOX’s Regan Smith interviewed Alfredo after the race, but FOX Sports 1 never aired it on the television broadcast.

The interview was ultimately posted on the network’s social media channels, but not until the following morning, when all the focus was shifted toward the Cup race.

Yes, the broadcasts can never be perfect, and there are plenty of avenues in which FOX has received criticism…

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