Ricky Stenhouse Jr. logged his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start with the drop of the green flag Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Live on USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Olive Branch, Mississippi, the 38-year-old Stenhouse became the 49th driver to log 500 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, an illustrious milestone for a driver who has left his mark across all three of NASCAR’s national circuits.
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Stenhouse made his national-series debut in 2009, piloting the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford at Nashville Superspeedway in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. In his third start, Stenhouse tallied his first career top-10 finish at Kentucky Speedway. Stenhouse immediately followed the result with a fifth-place showing at The Milwaukee Mile, his first career top five.
Stenhouse’s first career NASCAR win came just two years later, triumphing at Iowa Speedway during the 2011 O’Reilly season. A second victory came at Iowa later in the season, with the wins — as well as 14 additional top-five finishes — helping net Stenhouse the 2011 championship crown. There was no letting up during the 2012 season, with six race victories, 19 top fives and 788 laps led giving Stenhouse back-to-back titles.
After making his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2011 with Wood Brothers Racing, Stenhouse officially made the full-time jump to Cup in 2013 as pilot of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford. He logged his first career Cup top-five finish that season at Talladega Superspeedway with a third-place run. The talent was on display throughout the campaign, with Stenhouse eventually claiming Rookie of the Year honors.
500 starts. Same fire as the first one. Thankful for everybody who’s been in it with me 🙏 pic.twitter.com/aTQa6Bez1n
– Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (@StenhouseJr) September 13, 2026
Stenhouse’s breakthrough Cup campaign came in 2017. He captured his first career Cup win at Talladega, pulling away from Kyle Busch on the final lap to claim his first victory in his 158th career Cup start. Stenhouse’s second victory that season came at Daytona International Speedway, leading 17 laps and prevailing in NASCAR Overtime to hoist the victory hardware. The victories propelled Stenhouse into the postseason, with the No. 17 Ford pilot finishing a career-best 13th in the championship standings.
After seven Cup seasons with Roush Fenway, Stenhouse transitioned to JTG Daugherty Racing in 2020 and promptly won the pole in his first start with the team, leading the field to the green flag in the Daytona 500. His first Cup victory with the team, coincidentally, came in the 2023 rendition of the “Great American Race,” with the No. 47 Chevrolet holding off 2022 Cup Series champion Joey Logano in what was the longest Daytona 500 ever to clinch the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
A playoff berth by virtue of that 2023 victory made it natural for driver and team alike to stay together, and Stenhouse agreed to a multiyear contract in May 2024. Later that season, Stenhouse won by 0.006 seconds over RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski at Talladega, tied for the seventh-closest finish in Cup history.
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Through the 2026 season, Stenhouse remains with the organization, which has competed under the Hyak Motorsports banner since the 2025 campaign. He and the team announced another contract extension in May. A driver with an already diverse motorsports background — including in sprint cars and midget cars, among others — Stenhouse has expanded his portfolio in 2026 with Niece Motorsports, logging his first career appearances in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
From longtime mentors — including Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart — who guided the up-and-comer to becoming a seasoned NASCAR veteran himself, Stenhouse has crafted a storied journey, with his 500th start as the latest chapter.