Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a really succesful superspeedway racer. His first-ever Cup win got here at a drafting monitor, alongside along with his second, and his third, and now his fourth. Two Cup wins at Talladega and two at Daytona since transferring to the collection full-time over a decade in the past, together with a dramatic victory within the 2023 Daytona 500.
However Talladega nearly ended very in a different way for Stenhouse, who crossed the end line with an apparent gap within the door after getting clobbered by the spinning Austin Cindric in an enormous 20+ automobile crash earlier than the ultimate restart. He saved it straight as the sector piled up in his rearview mirror. He went on to win the race over Brad Keselowski to his inside and William Byron to his outdoors, and the margin of the victory was solely 0.006s.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr, JTG Daugherty Racing, Kroger Well being/Palmolive Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Photos
“When the 24 [Byron] jumped out to the skin, it was like a parachute hit my automobile,” defined Stenhouse. “I used to be simply hoping that we might get to the start-finish line earlier than them. It was a drag race at that time. Once I obtained to the again stretch, they have been fairly assured that we had gained, and a giant sigh of aid for certain.”
One other issue that performed a job in his victory was the truth that it was three Chevrolets versus one Ford (Keselowski). Regardless of that, Kyle Larson nonetheless gave Keselowski sufficient of a shove that he obtained away from Stenhouse exiting Flip 4. To the shock of many together with the race winner, Keselowski selected to not block Stenhouse and Byron as the skin line surged ahead within the closing seconds of the race.
To dam or to not block
“I used to be actually shocked,” stated Stenhouse. “I used to be ready for the block, and I used to be going to resolve whether or not I used to be clear sufficient to get to his inside and get in entrance of the 5 [Larson] or dangle a proper and take our momentum with the 24 [Byron]. Yeah, I used to be tremendous shocked that he did not make that right-hand.”
Earlier this yr, Michael McDowell tried to dam from the lead at Talladega, which ended with him dropping the race and crashing into the wall. Keselowski, a veteran superspeedway racer with extra wins at Talladega than another lively driver, later defined that he knew the Chevrolets would stick collectively and he did not need to get break up coming to the road.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr, JTG Daugherty Racing, Kroger Well being/Palmolive Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photos
Stenhouse would have dealt with issues in a different way, declaring that he “was going to dam anyone. I did not care who it was.” Kyle Busch, who obtained right into a bodily altercation with Stenhouse earlier this yr, tried to make a 3rd line work in these closing moments, however ended up falling again. Ultimately, Stenhouse simply wanted to remain precisely the place he was on restart to seize the checkered flag.
“It is so robust to win these races. It is so robust to overlook the wrecks, put your self in the best place with sufficient gasoline. These races are sort of chaos when it comes all the way down to the tip. I used to be grateful that we had a profitable green-white-checkered with out having one other warning. It has been a very long time since we have been in a position to try this within the Cup Sequence, in order that was sort of good.
“I at all times clearly really feel assured coming again to a spot that we have gained at earlier than and a superspeedway the place we at all times really feel fairly assured in our race automobile … We have misplaced a pair right here by inches, so it was cool to win one.”
Watch: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: ‘This win is basically actually particular’ after Talladega
The win clearly meant rather a lot to him. That was very obvious from his fast ascent up the catch-fencing earlier than climbing into the flag stand to the roar of the gang. Not solely was this his first victory since February, 2023, nevertheless it was his first since turning into a father too. He was in a position to FaceTime along with his spouse Madyson and his toddler son Stetson after the race, however he was ‘bummed’ that they weren’t there to have a good time in-person.
Stenhouse is the third non-playoff driver to win within the final 4 weeks, and did so by placing JTG in Victory Lane for simply the third time within the staff’s 15-year historical past.
