Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the 2023 Daytona 500 in incredible fashion after holding off some of NASCAR’s most successful drivers. It was something that Stenhouse, a noted superspeedway ace, has been trying to accomplish for over one decade.
Now, the driver of the No. 47 car for JTG Daugherty Racing will go down in NASCAR history.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s victory at the 2023 Daytona 500 comes with some help from his friends
Stenhouse Jr. has a dirt racing background and it was certainly a great moment for him when two drivers he is close to helped him win the Daytona 500. Both Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, noted dirt experts, gave him critical pushes on the final restart.
Bell came over to victory lane and gave Stenhouse a massive embrace while Larson grabbed a red solo cup and chatted with him in victory lane. It was a popular win amongst the dirt racing competitors and others, such as Ryan Blaney, who came over to congratulate him.
Those who know Stenhouse well understand how hard he has worked to reach this point. Both Larson and Bell said after the race that they were super happy for Stenhouse after he won his first Daytona 500.
It’s hard not to be happy for Stenhouse. This has been a long time coming for the driver of the No. 47 car. This helps validate everyone within NASCAR thought about him during his time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Some may have forgotten how well he performed when given the right equipment. Now, Stenhouse represents one of NASCAR’s best underdog stories running for a small team.
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s victory at the Daytona 500 was a long time coming
There was a time where Stenhouse raced against the best in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It included two straight Xfinity Series championships and eight overall wins in those two full-time seasons with Roush Fenway Racing.
The move to the NASCAR Cup Series was not the most ideal situation for him. Roush Fenway Racing was starting to lose some steam and by the time he was ready to compete, the equipment was not up to par.
Quite frankly, Stenhouse has been at a disadvantage throughout his entire Cup Series tenure. However, the 35-year-old driver has finally climbed to the top of the mountain and sits as a Daytona 500 champion.
This has been a long time coming for Stenhouse. There is so much talent behind the wheel that has not been allowed to be unleashed. It feels like forever ago that Stenhouse was that 24-year-old driver taking the world by storm.
He is still that driver. All he has needed is an opportunity to prove that he can get it done on a weekly basis. This victory won’t give JTG Daugherty Racing the equipment to compete every week but it’s just a reminder that both Stenhouse and the team are still here.
JTG Daugherty Racing has won a race in the past with A.J. Allmendinger in 2014. It has almost been a decade since that victory at Watkins Glen International and the emotions were sky high.
Nothing compares to a victory in the Daytona 500. It is one of the biggest underdog stories we have seen in recent Daytona 500s. Honestly, it ranks just as high as Front Row Motorsports’ victory with Michael McDowell in 2021.
Stenhouse and JTG Daugherty Racing are still here. Some may have forgotten the duo after some rough years since 2014; however, there’s no way anyone can forget about them anymore.