The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season features Ricky Stenhouse Jr. competing with his same organization from the previous five seasons, but one that has been rebranded under a new identity: Hyak Motorsports. As Stenhouse prepares to pursue a second Daytona 500 victory in this year’s 67th running of the Great American Race, he will do so with a milestone start of his own for the event. By taking the green flag in this year’s season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, the driver of the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet entry will reach 14 starts in the 500.
A native of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Stenhouse’s first Daytona 500 career start occurred in 2012, where he piloted the No. 6 Ford entry for Roush Fenway Racing (RFR). By then, he was coming off his first Xfinity Series championship and was scheduled to make select Cup starts while also defend his Xfinity title with RFR. Starting in 21st place, Stenhouse rallied from being involved in an eight-car wreck through the frontstretch to finish in 20th place.
Beginning in 2013, Stenhouse, who achieved a second Xfinity title during the previous season, graduated to a full-time Cup Series driving role in RFR’s No. 17 Ford entry, which commenced with the Mississippi native finishing in 12th place during the 55th Daytona 500. He then notched his first top-10 result in the Great American Race by finishing seventh in 2014 before he finished no higher than 22nd during his next four starts. During his final 500 start with RFR in 2019, Stenhouse settled in 13th place.
For the 2020 season, Stenhouse swapped organizations with Chris Buescher as the former joined forces with JTG-Daugherty Racing to pilot the No. 47 Chevrolet entry. In his first qualifying trails in the No. 47 car, he captured the pole position for the 62nd Daytona 500. As a result, Stenhouse became the 43rd competitor to achieve the pole position for the Great American Race while also delivering the third career pole for JTG-Daugherty Racing and the eighth in a row for the Chevrolet nameplate. During the main event, Stenhouse led 24 laps and was in contention for the victory until he was penalized with nearly 40 laps remaining for driving below the double yellow lines through the backstretch. His moves were to avoid making contact with Ryan Blaney. Having to serve a pass-through penalty through pit road, Stenhouse’s event went from bad to worse during a cycle of green-flag pit stops with 28 laps remaining when he got hit by Erik Jones entering Turn 4 and spun. The incident damaged Stenhouse’s front hood, though he managed to pit without drawing a caution. As a result, he proceeded to finish in 20th place and three laps behind the leaders.
Over his next two Daytona 500 starts, Stenhouse finished 18th and 28th, respectively. During the latter finish in 2022, he was battling for the victory when he got sideways off of Brad Keselowski and wrecked with Chris Buescher in the frontstretch. Then in 2023, Stenhouse achieved his first victory in the Great American Race. The victory occurred after the Mississippi native stormed to the lead during an overtime shootout before a 13-car wreck sent the event into a second overtime attempt, to which Stenhouse received a draft from Christopher Bell to emerge ahead of Joey Logano with the lead before a final-lap, nine-car wreck concluded the event under caution. In addition, Stenhouse had enough fuel to finish the final lap under caution before he ran out while returning to the frontstretch to celebrate with his team. By winning the 65th Daytona 500, Stenhouse became the 42nd competitor to win the Great American Race as he scored his third Cup career victory and his first series’ victory in six years. In addition, the Mississippi native also recorded the second Cup career victory for JTG-Daugherty Racing and the 25th for the Chevrolet nameplate.
Through 13 previous starts in the Daytona 500, Stenhouse, who finished in 31st place during the 2024 event, has achieved one victory, two top-10 results, 77 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.1. A second victory in 2025 would make Stenhouse become the 13th competitor overall to achieve multiple Daytona 500 victories and the first competitor to win the Great American Race twice within a three-year span since Michael Waltrip made the previous accomplishment in 2001 and 2003. In addition, Stenhouse would record the 27th 500 victory for the Chevrolet nameplate and the first for Hyak Motorsports under its new name.
This week, Stenhouse, who finished in 25th place in the 2024 driver’s standings, will participate in a single-car qualifying session on Wednesday, February 12, and in one of two Duel events on Thursday, February 13, to determine his starting lineup for this year’s Daytona 500. The qualifying session on Wednesday will begin airing at 8:15 p.m. ET on FS1 while the Duels will begin airing at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, February 16, with a starting broadcast time of 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
