Ricky Stenhouse Jr. through the years

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. concluded his 13th full-time NASCAR Cup Series season in 2025 and sixth with Hyak Motorsports (formerly JTG Daugherty Racing). 

Scroll through this gallery to view the top career racing moments over the years for the NASCAR veteran.

In 2009, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with a partial season (seven races). Former champion Tony Stewart has been a longtime mentor and friend.

Stenhouse also recorded his first NASCAR national series top-five finish at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2009 behind some well-known names: Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.

Just two years after his debut with Roush Fenway Racing, Stenhouse had a strong season and was crowned the 2011 Xfinity Series champion. He won twice (both at Iowa) and wheeled his way to 16 top-five finishes.

Stenhouse didn't have a championship slump following his 2011 title. Setting career-highs in almost every category, the young driver took home six victories, 19 top-five finishes and the Xfinity championship in 2012.

After one start for Wood Brothers Racing in 2011, Stenhouse started driving for team owner Jack Roush in the Cup Series in 2012.

The 2013 season marked the first full-time Cup Series schedule for Stenhouse -- and he made the most of it. He earned his first career pole at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

Ending the 2013 season with one top-five and three top-10 finishes, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award. His best run? A third-place finish at ... Talladega Superspeedway.

In 2016, the fitness guru competed in the popular "American Ninja Warrior" reality TV show.

The driver of the No. 17 Ford waited 157 premier series races to cross the start/finish line first, and in the spring race at 'Dega, Stenhouse did just that. On a late restart, he pulled past Kyle Busch on the final lap to win his first career Cup Series race and claim the first win for Roush Fenway Racing in 101 starts.

Stenhouse etched his name in the history books following his victory at Talladega. He became one of only eight drivers to win a Cup Series race, as well as in the USAC Silver Crown, National Sprint Car and National Midget Series. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson are three of the other drivers on the list.

The No. 17 Ford team wasted no time finding Victory Lane again in 2017. Stenhouse wheeled his way to another race win, this time in July at Daytona International Speedway.

The 2017 season continued to be a year of firsts for the 30-year-old from Olive Branch, Mississippi. Thanks to a pair of victories earlier in the season, Stenhouse became one of 16 drivers in the playoff hunt. He was eliminated following the Round of 12.

After eight seasons with Roush Fenway Racing as a Cup Series driver, Stenhouse moved to JTG Daugherty Racing in 2020. He promptly won the pole position for the Daytona 500 in his first race for his new team.

Over the next three seasons with JTG Daugherty Racing, Stenhouse did not make it back to Victory Lane. But there were some close calls, like his second-place finish in the 2021 Bristol Dirt Race.

Finally, Stenhouse broke through for his first win with JTG Daugherty Racing, and it was none other than the 2023 Daytona 500, the crown jewel of NASCAR racing. Stenhouse surged just ahead of Joey Logano before the caution flag came out during NASCAR Overtime to take the trophy in the longest Daytona 500 ever.

While Stenhouse was unable to win again in 2023, his Daytona 500 victory slotted him into the NASCAR Playoffs, where he was eliminated after the Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway. His playoff appearance qualified him to be honored at the 2023 NASCAR Awards, pictured here, as well.

JTG Daugherty Racing announced on May 2, 2024, that Stenhouse would continue to pilot the No. 47 for the forseeable future, extending the Daytona 500 winner with a fresh, multiyear contract.

For the first time since his 2023 triumph in the "Great American Race," Stenhouse returned to Victory Lane in the Cup Series after winning the Talladega fall race in October 2024. He held off Brad Keselowski by 0.006 seconds, tying for the seventh closest finish in premier series history.

At the end of 2024 season, JTD JTG Daugherty Racing announced that it would compete under the Hyak Motorsports banner starting in 2025 and retain Stenhouse with the team's new ownership. 

Stenhouse Jr. was unable to cash in with his fifth career Cup Series win in 2025, tallying only one top five and three top 10s over the entirety of the campaign. Stenhouse finished 30th in the final standings.