Following Kyle Larson’s Return to the Chili Bowl, the Former Daytona 500 Champion Follows the Same Suit

Cup Series stars have been springing surprises this week. Yesterday, Kyle Larson announced a shocking return to the Chili Bowl after two years of boycotting the event. With Larson proposing a unison with former team owner Keith Kunz for the same, one of his fellow Cup Series drivers has taken the same route. Reigning Daytona 500 champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr has entered his name for the Chili Bowl Nationals and will attempt to break into Saturday’s feature race.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr will also compete in a Keith Kunz Motorsports Sprint Car, and this will be his 17th appearance in the prestigious Golden Driller Tournament. Having raced in the championship event eight times in the past, Stenhouse has loads of experience when it comes to ensuring his spot in the feature race on Saturday. The JTG Daugherty Racing driver will arrive at the Tulsa Expo Raceway one day after Kyle Larson for the same.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr’s sudden urge to return to the Chili Bowl nationals

In 2023, Stenhouse Jr couldn’t compete in the Chili Bowl and had opted to spend some time away from racing. Considering the prestige and intense competition the Golden Driller can supply, it is hard for a driver not to feel that surge in adrenaline. Watching the drivers stamp their names on the Chili Bowl from afar, Ricky Stenhouse Jr decided that it was time for him to get back into the arena.

“Really looking forward to getting back to Chili Bowl. Obviously, took last year off and I missed it. I was sitting on the couch watching this week, and my wife looked at me and said, I can tell you really want to go; just go,” said the 36-year-old in a conversation with FloRacing.

USAC championship winner Justin Grant has been courting Ricky Stenhouse Jr for some time now. Grant tried to persuade Stenhouse Jr to run his second car, which was a solid possibility. However, since the Chili Bowl was already underway, making it happen was prohibited by time.

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However, that wasn’t the end of the road for him. Like Kyle Larson dialed up his former mentor Keith Kunz after Tanner Carrick’s win, Ricky Stenhouse Jr texted Larson. What followed the text message was Ricky’s return for a 17th Chili Bowl appearance.

Stenhouse Jr felt Keith Kunz would reject his proposal

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Keith Kunz is one of the most well-known names in the garage area at the SageNet Center. Fielding title-contending cars with formidable drivers every year, KKM is one team that rivals have had to look out for. Yesterday’s news of 2-time champion Kyle Larson returning to race with Kunz would have been a tough pill to swallow for some. Fast forward to today, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr has joined him in a KKM car.

However, before the confirmation, Stenhouse Jr needed to be sure that Keith Kunz accepted his request. Having failed to impress in his previous outing with the team owner, Ricky Stenhouse Jr had his doubts. Revealing the build-up to the return, Stenhouse Jr said,

“I was texting with [Kyle] Larson, telling him, the same time you were trying to get your deal together, I was trying to get a deal together, and he said to call Keith [Kunz], which I’ve run for him one other time at the Chili Bowl, and I didn’t really perform the way I wanted to.”

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“So, I wasn’t sure if he would let me back in one of his cars, but I shot him a text, and he said, let me get on that, so here we are. Obviously, Keith has the best cars out there, and they show every night, so I’m looking forward to getting back in a Midget at the Expo to see what we can do.”

With the news of Stenhouse Jr’s recruitment announced, KKM has received a massive boost in its firepower. Having already won with Tanner Carrick on Monday night, things are looking good for team owner Kunz.