Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has spent his entire life behind the wheel, but his path to NASCAR wasn’t a straight one. Long before he became a Daytona 500 winner, Stenhouse was deep into the dirt world, busy in go-karts and outlaw circuits where he built his name.

NASCAR wasn’t even a part of his plan, not even in the back of his mind. He was busy chasing legends in USAC and the World of Outlaws. And yet, one moment, one decision, opened the doors to NASCAR that he didn’t see coming.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. never saw stock cars coming

Growing up, Stenhouse always stayed laser-focused on the present, just like he explained in a chat with Chase Holden. “I am always super kind of focused on whatever I’m doing at that moment,” he said. “When I was racing go-karts, it was racing go-karts, and that was it… When I started racing sprint cars, it was just racing sprint cars.”

When he was 15 years old in 2003, he began his sprint car racing career in 360 cubic inch winged sprint cars. Stenhouse won the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver Poll and Dirt Winged Sprint Car Rookie of the Year in 2003. His dad’s influence ran deep as they’d hit tracks together, building skills on Memphis Motorsports Park’s dirt. In 2006, Stenhouse won the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver Poll Wild Card polls in both the 360 and 410 divisions, and by 2007, he was a USAC standout, finishing sixth in sprints and third in midget racing.

That total immersion meant NASCAR stayed off his map. “Yeah, I didn’t really focus too much on the NASCAR side of things,” Stenhouse admitted. “Probably until I signed with an agency in January of 2007.” That one life-changing moment unlocked doors quickly for Stenhouse in NASCAR.

Just months later, at Phoenix’s Copper on Dirt, he swept the USAC sprint car and silver crown events, which was a huge boost to his career that gave him a seat on Tony Stewart’s sprint team. And next was stock car racing, which pulled him from the dirt he loved. It was a ride he was not chasing, but that ride pushed his career toward ARCA in 2008 and eventual Xfinity titles in 2011 and 2012.

Those dirt racing roots still fuel his edge today. “I’m a typical dirt racer that wants to go try different lines,” Stenhouse once said. “When the line goes to the top of the racetrack, I feel like I’m a little bit better.” That boldness of his shone in his 2017 Talladega win, where he dodged a massive wreck to steal the win.

From cleaning cars on family weekends to outrunning legends on the World of Outlaws circuit, his early grind built a racer who thrives on taking risks. But as Stenhouse reflects on those life moments that shaped his NASCAR career, his story also hits close to home with the people who’ve stood by him through it all.

Stenhouse’s heartfelt nod to RFK’s quiet legend

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t hold back when RFK Racing said goodbye to Edgar Aleman, the team’s original crew member since 1978. Hired by Jack Roush after spotting his drag-strip talent, Aleman tuned engines for stars like Mark Martin, helping rack up wins and titles over 47 years.

As an assembly mechanic in his last days, he shaped the Ford power that powered Stenhouse’s early stock car runs, starting with that 2008 ARCA debut win at Kentucky.

“Loved working with Edgar; we had some fantastic times,” Stenhouse posted. “Congrats on a great career and enjoy retirement. He knew how to tune some engines!!” Those words carry weight because Aleman was the steady hand behind the scenes during Stenhouse’s Roush years, from Xfinity poles to Cup rookie battles.

Roush gifted him a custom helmet and toolbox at Phoenix in 2025, marking the end of an era for a Puerto Rico native who kept the team humming quietly.