Ricky Stenhouse Jr. through the years

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s fourth career NASCAR Cup Series win came in the 2024 Talladega fall race. All four of his Cup Series victories have occured in superspeedway races. Let's look at Stenhouse's rise through NASCAR.

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 Jr. also recorded his first ever NASCAR national series top-five finish at Milwaukee 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 Jr. 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 Jr. 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 the Wood Brothers in 2011, Stenhouse Jr. started driving for team owner Jack Roush in the Cup Series in 2012.

The 2013 season marked the first full-time NASCAR Cup Series schedule for Stenhouse Jr. -- and he made the most of it. He earned his first career pole at Atlanta.

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.

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 finish line first, and in the spring race at 'Dega, Stenhouse Jr. did just that. On a late restart, he pulled past Kyle Busch on the final lap to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series race and claim the first win for Roush Fenway Racing in 101 starts.

Stenhouse Jr. etched his name in the history books following his victory at Talladega. He became one of only eight drivers to win a NASCAR 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 Jr. 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 Jr. 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 Jr. 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 Jr. would continue to pilot the No. 47 for the forseeable future, extending the Daytona 500 winner with a fresh, multiyear contract.

MORE: JTG Daugherty signs Stenhouse to multiyear deal

For the first time since his 2023 triumph in the "Great American Race," Stenhouse Jr. 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.