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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 2025 NASCAR Driver Profile

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Jan 31, 2025 1:01 PM ET

[Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2025 Racing Annual magazine. Order your copy online today, or buy one at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]

The 2024 season marked Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s fifth with the team formerly known as JTG Daugherty Racing (more on that later), and it was highlighted by a thrilling photo-finish win at Talladega for his fourth career Cup Series victory and first since winning the Daytona 500 in 2023.

Stenhouse has posted consistent year-to-year results with the No. 47 team, carving out a solid career for himself after being let go from RFK Racing at the conclusion of the 2019 season.

Throughout his Cup career, Stenhouse has been good for one to four top-5 finishes per season and a handful of top 10s. While his average finish in 2024 (22.1) was nearly five positions lower than his average in 2023 (17.8), another major superspeedway victory wiped out the pain of struggles elsewhere. Unfortunately, the timing of last year’s win (October) was too late to give Stenhouse back-to-back playoff appearances.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2024 stats

Starts	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	DNF
36	1	3	6	0	7

It appeared things for everyone involved would be business as usual in 2025; instead, they’re getting a last-minute shakeup. Last year marked the end of an era for the team, as Jodi and Tad Geschickter (the “JTG” in JTG Daugherty Racing) are no longer part of the organization. Kroger also left after more than a decade of partnership in favor of RFK Racing, meaning one of the most recognizable team/sponsorship pairings won’t return to the track this season.

The No. 47 team will remain under the ownership group that’s left. Co-owners Brad Daugherty and Gordon Smith will retain their roles, with the latter serving as primary owner for newly-monikered Hyak Motorsports. Stenhouse’s contract will remain intact; he signed a multi-year extension back in May.

The rebrand was only announced in late November, so several questions remain surrounding the team as it prepares for the season at hand. The most pressing issue is sponsorship. Sunny D is on board for five races, but the organization will have almost an entire season’s worth of slots to fill with the void left by Kroger’s departure. The good news for Stenhouse is Hyak owns a charter, which guarantees a starting spot, and time; as in, time to let the marketers to their thing.

It’s unclear how the race-by-race performance will be affected. Stenhouse has been around long enough that we know the driver’s ceiling, risen slightly with Mike Kelley’s 2023 return to the pit box as crew chief. But with limited money, mechanics can only do so much. How equipment stacks up against the rest of the field will determine the team’s competitiveness beyond their two strong suits: Daytona and Talladega.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. career stats

Years	Starts	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles
14	436	4	25	60	3

So, the superspeedways remain Stenhouse’s golden ticket and it’s paramount he continue to capitalize on them. Another win and playoff berth would bring an influx of cash to the team, and that’s about all Stenhouse and Hyak can ask for as they start a new chapter.

The Ricky Stenhouse Jr. file

Car: No. 47 Chevy

Team: JTG Daugherty Racing

Crew chief: Mike Kelley

Years with current team: 6

Best points finish: 13 (2017)

Hometown: Olive Branch, Mississippi

Born: Oct. 2, 1987

Scouting report

Anonymous takes from drivers, crew chiefs, and assorted industry insiders:

“People forget that he won two Xfinity championships back when they were really hard to win; won races against Cup guys in the field every week, too,” says a series team owner.

There’s a “but” there too, of course: “He gets in his own way sometimes. He’s a great plate racer and his mistakes are always trying to make too much happen. He’s the perfect example of trying to finish 10th with a 20th-place car. ”

One crew chief points out that his best overall season was 2023, when he opened the year with a Daytona 500 win: “It took all the edge off so he could just go out there and take whatever the car gave him.”

“One of my favorite drivers to cover because he’s very smart, and a racer’s racer,” one beat writer states. “He’ll still be here long after his driving career is over.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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