Breaking News: Daytona 500 Champ Stenhouse Jr. Finally Set for Truck Series Debut
It’s funny how racing works sometimes. You can spend years grinding at the highest level, hoisting trophies at the biggest tracks in America, and still find yourself staring at a blank spot on your resume. For Ricky Stenhouse Jr., that blank spot has been the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Despite having nearly 600 starts between the Cup and Xfinity series, and let’s not forget that massive 2023 Daytona 500 ring he wears, Stenhouse Jr. has never actually competed in a truck race. But that is all about to change down in Florida. The folks over at Niece Motorsports just dropped some exciting news: Ricky is finally hopping in a truck.
Stenhouse Jr. Takes the Wheel at Daytona
Come February 13, fans at Daytona International Speedway are going to see a familiar face in a new ride. Stenhouse Jr. will be piloting the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the season opener. And if you follow his career, you know why this is a big deal. The man is absolute money on superspeedways.
He’s already got four Cup Series wins on drafting tracks, including Daytona and Talladega. Putting a superspeedway ace like him in competitive equipment at a track he clearly loves? That is a recipe for excitement.
A Long Time Coming for Stenhouse Jr.
This isn’t just a random one-off for publicity. It sounds like he has been itching to do this for a while. He mentioned that he’s always wanted to run a truck but never found the right situation. It wasn’t until Cody Efaw, the CEO at Niece Motorsports, gave him a call that the stars aligned.
There’s a real warmth to this deal, too. Efaw and Stenhouse Jr. go way back to their days at Roush (now RFK Racing). Efaw knows exactly what Ricky can do on these big tracks, calling him a “natural” on superspeedways. It’s always great to see old colleagues teaming up again to chase a win.
What to Expect from Stenhouse Jr. with Niece Motorsports
Ricky isn’t just stopping at Daytona. J.F. Electric, a family-owned contractor that’s been backing Niece since 2024, is jumping on board to sponsor him for a second race at Atlanta EchoPark Speedway on February 21.
After Ricky has his fun, he’ll be handing the keys over to Ross Chastain and Landen Lewis, who will split the No. 45 for the rest of the season. But for those two weeks in February, all eyes are going to be on Stenhouse Jr. to see if he can finally check that Truck Series win off his bucket list. We can’t wait to see him out there mixing it up with the truck regulars.
