Top Dog: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
JTG-Daugherty Racing co-owner Brad Daugherty’s message to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. before Sunday’s (Feb. 26) Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway was simple: his Daytona 500 celebration must be short-lived.
Stenhouse had just enjoyed a fun-filled week capped off by a national media tour that took him from Chicago to New York City in recognition of that Daytona 500 breakthrough. It was the biggest upset in NASCAR’s Great American Race in over 10 years, Stenhouse achieving a lifetime goal inside the sport.
But when the weekend came, it was business as usual for the Olive Branch, Miss. native. Any distractions were easily pushed aside as Stenhouse secured a 12th-place finish in the second NASCAR Cup Series event of 2023.
Stenhouse started on the front row in a race where conditions were treacherous from the start. Both rain and snow washed out all on-track action Saturday, including an all-important practice session. It meant he was one of the first drivers to know what the track would be like when the field barreled into turn 1 on the opening lap.
At first, it seemed Stenhouse would sink like an anchor, breaking loose and dropping 11 spots in the first two laps alone. However, the No. 47 Chevrolet adapted from there, settling in at the back end of the top 15.
Stenhouse reported his car getting tight across the seams early in the race, earning a 15th-place stage one finish.
The 35-year-old began mired back in traffic at the beginning of stage two. However, after an early caution, he avoided major damage when a 10-car pileup occurred around him on a lap 87 restart. Stenhouse’s lap times improved from there, closing stage two in 13th.
During the final stage, Stenhouse pushed the limits a little too much, hitting the wall twice with the No. 47 Chevrolet. Fortunately, the durability of the Next Gen car kept him running, Stenhouse able to make some passes and rise to as high as ninth. Fluctuating a bit from there, he remained on the fringes of the top 10 down the stretch, coming home in 12th position. It’s his third-best career result at Auto Club in what NASCAR claims will be the final race in its current 2-mile configuration.
Following up a win as colossal as the Daytona 500 is a tall task, especially when you don’t have quite the resources of other powerhouse teams. But for Stenhouse and crew, it’s clear 2023 will be a year you’ll need to keep an eye on them, a team with the…
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