[autotag]Ricky Stenhouse Jr.[/autotag] started the 2023 NASCAR season in the most successful way possible, automatically making it a good year. Stenhouse ended the campaign with one win, two top-5 finishes, and nine top-10 finishes. Unfortunately for the driver of the No. 47 car, he could not advance out of the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Stenhouse won the 2023 Daytona 500 in one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. It was an incredible moment for the sport as JTG Daugherty Racing broke through for another victory. Stenhouse ended the year with 39 laps led (25th-best) and a 17.8 average finishing position (17th-best); however, where did it go wrong for him?
Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. talks with @JamieLittleTV. pic.twitter.com/hk56hTy7eH
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2023
The JTG Daugherty Racing driver only had two top-15 finishes and four top-20 finishes during the 10-race playoff. Stenhouse didn’t have the speed or equipment to make a deep run, which is common for a small team. Simply put, JTG Daugherty Racing faced an uphill battle, but they still managed to come away with a victory in NASCAR’s biggest event.
Stenhouse’s victory in the 2023 Daytona 500 automatically makes it a good season. He struggled in 2022 when the NextGen car debuted and bounced back in a big way. Overall, Stenhouse and JTG Daugherty Racing have a lot to look forward to when the 2024 NASCAR season begins, and it starts with trying to repeat in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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