Ricky Stenhouse has been a NASCAR Cup Collection racer since 2011, chalking up 430 races in that point, claiming three wins and 24 top-five finishes. The JTG-Daugherty Racing driver – Stenhouse just lately re-signed a multiyear contract with the one-car workforce he first joined in 2020 – is extensively seen because the consummate NASCAR underdog, which is a notion he’s tremendous with.
“Yeah, man, the underdog factor, it’s fascinating,” mentioned Stenhouse. “We present as much as win similar to all people else. If you wish to succeed at this sport, that’s the mindset you must have. I feel we re-evaluate as soon as observe is over, the place we’re at on the weekend as a workforce and what sensible expectations are for the race. I feel my workforce and myself, we’re up for that problem of being an underdog and never being the favourite to exit and win each week. To me, I feel it takes actually robust confidence in your self and in your workforce to tackle that position.
“I feel it’s simple being a favourite. You already know, it comes with its totally different challenges, for positive. Mentally, and the way you must dig deep as a race workforce, I feel being an underdog is fairly troublesome. It takes a particular group and I feel we’ve received an excellent group to try this.”
Totally dedicated to the JTG-Daugherty group, Stenhouse really feel that the No. 47 Cup workforce is a singular workforce with calculated targets and a decided, preventing spirit.
“Yeah, we’re a brotherhood,” mentioned Stenhouse. “And we’ve received some cool issues coming down the pipeline that I really feel are going to make our workforce even stronger. If you’re an underdog, you’re not working race-by-race essentially, you’re working for years prematurely. Signing a multiyear deal there and realizing who our individuals are permits us to work on these targets collectively. It’s not making an attempt to flip one thing and light-weight the world on fireplace in a single day. Having these issues in place is unquestionably useful for a small workforce like us.
“Like this previous weekend at Kansas, we had been engaged on some issues making an attempt to get our vehicles quicker and I feel we achieved that. The outcomes don’t present it as a result of we received a flat tire in that third stage that killed our good run. I left the weekend bummed concerning the end, however excited concerning the future. You’ve received to be sure to take a look at all points of the weekend and take that into consideration and transfer ahead with it. It wasn’t a misplaced weekend, although the outcomes weren’t the place I felt like we should always have completed.”
With six races remaining on the ’24 Cup schedule, Stenhouse and firm have a aim in thoughts they really feel is sensible to attain when the checkered flag waves at Phoenix subsequent month.
“We’ve received our sights set on prime 25 in factors,” mentioned Stenhouse, who at present stands twenty seventh. “You already know, we had been there after Atlanta; we had a powerful run at Atlanta. Then we received caught in that first-lap wreck at Watkins Glen; we weren’t as robust at Bristol as we wanted to be, or what we usually are. At Kansas, we had been again to operating how we felt like we should always and we received a flat tire. We’ve received our backs in opposition to the best way on the subject of that, however we’ve nonetheless received six races left to attain that and that’s greater than sufficient time to get the job performed. I’d say that’s the primary aim on our listing.
“The second is to making an attempt to give you a greater package deal at totally different racetracks. So we’ve received Homestead and Las Vegas, that are the 2 mile-and-a-half racetracks that now we have left. I feel we discovered loads at Kansas that may put together us for these racetracks. We’re making an attempt to get these dialed in slightly bit higher. Our speedway racing is nice. I’m assured in that. I feel our street course program is shut. We’ve received a type of races left this season, in addition to two brief tracks left this yr with Martinsville and Phoenix. I’d say these are two of our hardest racetracks so far as making an attempt to get velocity and an excellent stability in our automotive. That’s one thing that we are going to proceed to work on. I feel we’ve received sufficient totally different racetracks left that hopefully we are able to hit on one thing that we are able to proceed to work on within the low season.”
There’s loads of selection arising, with this weekend on the two.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, adopted up by the reconfigured 2.28-mile Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“Sure, it’s a loopy blended bag!” mentioned Stenhouse, who was a winner at Talladega in 2017. “Clearly, I’d like to be within the playoffs, however, man, I inform you what, being within the playoffs and going to 2 races like that’s positively treacherous, proper? If you’re not within the playoffs, you go to a spot like Talladega, you don’t need to trigger a difficulty that’s going to mess up a playoff man. However you’ve nonetheless received to go compete in your workforce and your companions and all of your followers.
“Yeah, I’m wanting ahead to Talladega. Clearly we all know how one can win there. I feel that’s our greatest shot earlier than the season is up. So we’re going to put a giant effort into getting that performed. We’ll see what shakes out, however the Roval, it’s a singular and enjoyable racetrack. It’s troublesome. They made some adjustments to the structure and the configuration, so all people is sort of going to be studying that as we go all through that weekend. All in all, it’s going to be a enjoyable remainder of the yr.”
Trying again at his 2024 physique of labor, although, the underdog admits it hasn’t all been enjoyable.
“No, I’m not proud of it. I feel we’re disenchanted, for positive,” he admitted. “However I feel we’ve discovered much more just lately. I assume you possibly can sort of sum up that because the extra we be taught, we are able to sort of see the place now we have been at a deficit. Now it’s making an attempt to make that deficit up. It does make us really feel slightly bit higher concerning the potential in our vehicles if we do all the suitable issues.
“We’re positively sad with it. I feel we averaged principally a top-17 end in 2023 and now we have not achieved anyplace near that this yr. I feel that’s a giant bummer. It’s taking a step backwards. Clearly we all know it’s in us to get these good finishes. We did it final yr, in order that’s one thing that we’ll maintain striving for.”
That striving will proceed within the offseason.
“Us as a workforce, we’ll simply proceed to outline our course of. I feel that’s one other factor we are able to get higher at,” he mentioned. “It’s simply refining and getting our course of dialed in. I feel now we have a good course of, however it may possibly higher. That’s one thing that’s simply sort of trial and error. We did issues totally different in the direction of the top of final yr in hopes of being slightly bit higher this yr and I feel it has helped in some points of our season, however there are additionally some areas that also want some work. We’re simply persevering with to try this and we’ll determine these issues out within the low season.
“I need to return and do a deep dive again into a few of these racetracks and races the place we struggled. Hopefully we hit on a number of issues. That manner once we roll out of the gate subsequent yr, now we have a greater start line than what we did this yr. A variety of issues to work on. The excellent news is that the vehicles should not altering an entire lot, however we nonetheless must sustain with the occasions and the setups and every thing everyone seems to be doing. I feel we received behind on that, however we are attempting to claw our manner again.”
