In what ended up being a driver swap, JTG Daugherty Racing announced Wednesday that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been signed to a multi-year deal for the 2020 NASCAR Cup season.
Stenhouse replaces Chris Buescher who replace Stenhouse in the No. 17 Ford at Roush-Fenway Racing.
“We’re very fortunate to have Ricky join us next season to continue to elevate our racing program at JTG Daugherty Racing,” team owner Tad Geschickter said. “Ricky brings a lot of experience and talent to the team, and we know we can have two Playoff-contending teams next season with him and Ryan Preece at the helm of our cars.”
Stenhouse Jr., a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Champion, has two wins, 15 top-five finishes, 34 top-10 finishes and two pole awards in 251 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. Competing for three years in the NXS from 2010-2012, he was Rookie of the Year in 2010 and won two NXS championships consecutively the following two seasons. Stenhouse Jr. earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award in the Cup Series in 2013 and brought home his first checkered flag finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2017, going on to win his second race later that year at Daytona International Speedway.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join JTG Daugherty Racing next season,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “To be able to see what Tad, Jodi (Geschickter) and Brad (Daugherty) have built over the years says a lot about the team and the organization both on and off the track. JTG has grown from a small team in a barn to a two-car team with more than 100 employees, and I’m looking forward to joining the family. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and ready to go win races with the ultimate goal of making the Playoffs and competing for a championship.”
Stenhouse Jr. will make his JTG Daugherty Racing debut on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at Daytona International Speedway. Sponsorship and car number will be announced at a later date.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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