Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s reputation precedes him. Known for his frequent wrecks, he’s currently sitting at P26 in the regular season standings, with just one race left to secure a playoff spot. Yet, thanks to NASCAR’s playoff rules, he still has a slim chance of breaking into the top 16. But going to Darlington once again, the unexpected leads the show for him.

During the practice session at Darlington, the No. 47 Chevy spun out and hit the wall, drawing criticism from fans and analysts alike. Despite the setback, his team managed to get the car race-ready in time. With everyone curious about his mindset after the crash, Stenhouse Jr. shared his thoughts in a candid pre-race press conference.

But will be back on track on the race day

Fortunately, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did not get injured during the wreck into the wall, and he made his way to the pre-race press conference. Despite not being in the best condition to speak about Sunday, as the car is still under repairs, Stenhouse Jr. opened up to Bob Pockrass and said, “I felt like we had competitive top 10, top 12 cars kind of went more in that direction and fired off really good. Was right there with the 5, 24, and 9, right there with us and running some good lap times.”

Additionally, the JTG Daugherty Racing driver is confident about having a good race, as he explained, “I probably was a little too comfortable and, you know, not really pushing the pace, just kind of relaxed, you know, long run pace. We planned on running about 30 laps, and you’re doing one run. The car just jumped out from underneath me there when I wasn’t really expecting it.”

It is unfortunate to lose control of the car like that during practice because if the car is not repaired on time, he will miss out on the qualifiers. Further, remembering the last time that Stenhouse Jr. spun out during practice, he said, “It’s been a while since we’ve done that in practice. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad; we were able to change the front lumber in the nose and, you know, almost got it back together.”

He also spoke about how the team is working hard on the car while mentioning that he feels confident that the car will deliver results. So far, the Memphis native has had a tough season with only two Top 5 and 5 Top 10 finishes. Although it might seem like it’s going to be a difficult race for Stenhouse Jr., he does have something going well for him.

What does Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have under his sleeve?

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Stenhouse Jr. got a spot in the playoffs last year, and despite finishing 16th, it was a good result for the team. He is the only driver who races for the team, and that means all the attention is on him. This includes having the whole garage to himself, which is why the car will be repaired before Sunday.

Securing his future in the NASCAR Cup Series, he signed a multiyear contract extension with JTG Daugherty Racing earlier this year, thanks to his Daytona victory in 2023. He started the last season extremely strong as he surprised the world by winning the inaugural race, and the fact that it was the Daytona 500 makes it even more special. He seems to have a good grip on the track, as he has won 2 out of 3 races of his career there. However, last weekend at the same track, he ended up finishing a disappointing P33.

Reflecting on his journey with the team as he extended his contract, Stenhouse Jr. had said, “I knew both the team and I were capable of putting the No. 47 in Victory Lane. Although I wish it came sooner, winning the Daytona 500 last year proved that we can win together. We have a fantastic group of guys at the shop, great management, solid partners, and an ever-improving program. I’m very excited to continue my relationship with the team. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised to see what we have in store for the future.”

Coming to Darlington, it is a different story altogether, as the track needs a lot of strategy to get by. The highly abrasive circuit makes the race a game of not only speed but also tire management, something that many teams struggle with.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is not known to be that confident at Darlington, as his best finish there was P8 in 2022. Ever since then, there has not been a big moment where he has crushed the competition on the track, and this year we get to see if he makes it a 2 year streak of being in the playoffs.

Do you think Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make it into the playoffs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.