Ricky Stenhouse Jr Aiming for Daytona 500 Glory with JTG Daugherty

Some drivers just have a way of exceling at certain race tracks. One of those drivers is Ricky Stenhouse Jr, who typically finds himself towards the front of the field at superspeedway tracks. The driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet has two career Cup victories, and both have come on superspeedways.

Although it wasn't the Daytona 500, Stenhouse did win here in 2017. Since that night though, it has been rough sledding at this track for the JTG Daugherty driver. He has failed to record a top-12 finish here in the ten races since then. That streak nearly ended one year ago, when he was just a few feet away from immortality.

After leading 16 laps and fighting at the front, Stenhouse found himself in prime position on the final restart of the Daytona 500. Five laps from the finish, he got hooked from behind by Brad Keselowski and his day was done. A Daytona 500 win was in sight, but it wasn't meant to be for the 2013 Rookie of the Year.

Ricky has led 137 laps at Daytona, and certainly knows how to navigate his way through traffic. That will come in handy on Sunday, as he will start 31st in the race. As the only full-time, single-car team in the garage, it can make things a little more challenging. That is where Ricky's reputation really comes in handy.

Drivers know who is fast at Daytona, and they all consider Stenhouse to be one of the fastest around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. More importantly, he knows how to race at these types of tracks. In terms of finding a drafting partner, Ricky has proven to be a solid pusher.

"I remember we felt so good that whole week,” Stenhouse recalled. “From the time we got down there, I just felt really comfortable. I believe we were the best Chevy in the field that day. It’s just tough to do when you’re out there by yourself as far as a manufacturer goes. Kyle Larson and I were working really, really well together. We were right there at the end and then got turned by Brad Keselowski. It was going to be tough to win, but I mean I was going to give it everything I had."

There are still some positives that Ricky and the team were able to take away from that day. They are hopeful that they can put themselves in a similar situation again on Sunday.

"We have to look at all of the things we did good, and focus on those. All in all, I was really happy with our performance at Daytona. We were in the right position. When you get down to the end of the Daytona 500 and you put yourself in the lead, that’s all you can ask for. Obviously, it doesn’t always work out, but we put ourselves in the right position."

"You definitely have to have luck to win this race. But I feel like you can create your luck and you can use your gut instincts which help with those lucky breaks. Knowing somebody is going to make a move and you have got to be ready to defend. The scenarios change so fast, and you have to be able to adapt and go back and forth and make those right moves. It’s tough, but it’s fun."

Stenhouse has the confidence in this team. So much so, that he signed a multi-year contract extension in the offseason. The team was also able to add veteran crew chief Mike Kelley, who was paired with Stenhouse when they won back-to-back Xfinity series championships.

"I’m rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready to go. I feel like we’re going to have some really good runs and have a shot to win some races." The organization is hoping that begins this weekend at Daytona with the Great American Race.