Ricky Stenhouse Jr

ARCA ReMax Series

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. approached the 2007 race season with aspirations of earning a shot to joining a full time race team where he could begin his career. With the 2006 season ending on a high note with Ricky being presented two (2) National Sprint Car Poll - Wild Card Awards, one for the 2006 North American 410 Winged and the 2006 North American 360 Winged classes during the annual PRI show. That same weekend, he made an admirable showing in his first ever venture onto the world of open wheel pavement racing, by running 7th in the PRA Big Car season finale. With that momentum, his goals didn't seem unreasonable. But only a few calls from teams come in during the month of January. Most being inquiries as to what kind of financial support he will bring to a ride. As the month passed by nothing materialized as far as his hopes of a race team and having to miss out on racing at 07 Winter Nationals was tough for the driver to take. RE Technologies re-offered the deal to race Silver Crown on the dirt races. Spending time at the RE Technologies shop to prepare for the “Copper on Dirt” served as good therapy, and was made even better when an offer to take along his family owned sprinter to Phoenix for more laps. Once there, a season Ricky had envisioned began to materialize. No better way to introduce himself to the western US racing community than to have a couple of stellar performances back to back at the famed Manzanita Speedway. From that point, race team’s interests switched from his pockets to his abilities. A generous offer and agreement from open wheel/midget legend, Jack Yeley, to race dirt sprint events through out the mid-west was set to begin mid-May. Regrettable, before Ricky had the opportunity to make his first start for JackYeley, events unfolded, unveiling a dream come true. A call from Jay Drake asking if Ricky would be interested in taken over the driving duties of the TSR #21 cars while their injured driver Tracy Hines heals. It’s the full USAC National schedule in five deciplines. Driving TSR's Silver Crown, Sprints and Midgets, on dirt and pavement, under the tutorage of Bobby Barth and team Tony Stewart Racing. Are you interested? YES SIR! I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED, indeed.

 

Born into a racing family, Ricky Stenhouse began racing bicycles at the age of three. By age six he had started driving go-karts and working on engines. Ricky’s father is a successful engine builder/tuner and owner of DynoTech Performance race engines. Ricky Stenhouse Sr., also a winning sprint car driver, allowed his son to try out his 360-winged sprint car, at age 15, during a track practice night. Both Ricky Sr & Ricky Jr. were hooked. Since that night in April, Ricky Sr has not raced or driven a sprintcar. The youngster won his first sprint car race in only his 23rd attempt. That same year, running a partial schedule, he was named the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 360 Dirt Winged Sprint Car Rookie of the Year, Memphis Motorsports Park Sprint Car Rookie of the Year. Ricky qualified 4th at World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race at Delta Bowl Speedway in only his second time in a 410 car. He’s first non-wing race attempt came in 2004 running challenging the USAC National Sprint Car Series veterans at Memphis. There he timed in 4th quick and finished 7th while running his 360 engine against the field of 410 warriors. That year, he also claimed a win in the ASCS National Sprint Car Series and won the COMP CAMS Memphis Nationals.

2005 saw the youngster claim five wins, four of them coming in the United Sprint Car Series. Stenhouse has already visited victory lane this season with three USCS wins, one POWRi Midget win and three All-Stars Ohio Speedweek wins. Ricky was an honor-roll student in high school and graduated with honors from Desoto Central High School on the afternoon of May 27th, hours before rocking the house at Riverside Speedway by winning the USCS feature event from a 9th starting position.

Stenhouse hopes to follow in the path of many other USAC drivers that have found their way to NASCAR and the IRL. The guys that raced Silver Crown or asphalt sprint cars and that moved on to NASCAR, have usually been successful real early," said Stenhouse. "USAC gets a lot of exposure in open wheel no matter whether it is on dirt or asphalt. I believe that is where you need to be."