Professional stock car racer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was at the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. Before his big win, he was best known as the boyfriend of another racing champion, Danica Patrick.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won’t just be referred to as Danica Patrick’s boyfriend anymore. Even if for a brief period, he will at least be known as a NASCAR champion. His girlfriend and father joined him in the victory lane to celebrate his first major career win. Albeit, his father had a little trouble getting there in his excitement. Here’s everything to know about him, including where he’s from in our Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wiki.
#1. Who is Ricky Stenhouse Jr.?
Richard Lynn “Ricky” Stenhouse Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee and was raised in Olive Branch, Mississippi. At only six years old, he began kart-racing and had 47 wins and 90 podium finishes by the time he moved onto sprint car racing 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 in 2003, began racing in the USAC sprint car series in 2004, and won the dual Rookie of the Year honors in the United States Auto Club sprint car in 2007.
In 2008, he began a major-league career in stock car racing in the ARCA Racing Series, driving for Roush Fenway Racing, which won consecutive championships in 2003 and 2004. But it had not won a Cup Race since 2014. So, Stenhouse’s Talladega victory is a big deal for the team.
Stenhouse is a football fan and cheers for the Ole Miss Rebels of the University of Mississippi. He led the Rebels onto the field before the annual Egg Bowl game versus in-state rival, Mississippi State. He was also one of three NASCAR drivers trying to conquer American Ninja Warrior in 2016. But he struggled and didn’t make it past the second obstacle.
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#2. NASCAR Career
Two years into his NASCAR career, Stenhouse had troubles. In 2010, he crashed in four out of the first 10 races of the season. He was replaced, until he made a comeback in third place at Daytona. In 2011, he claimed his first win in the John Deere Dealers 250 at Iowa Speedway, his 51st start in the Nationwide Series.
He has stacked eight wins, more than 60 Top Tens and eight poles in the Nationwide Series. Stenhouse was the 2011 and 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion. He also received the NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year Award in 2010, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award in 2013. And now, he snagged his biggest Cup Series win.
His net worth is estimated to be around $12.0 million. Danica Patrick, a more mainstream icon, has a net worth of $60.0 million, with modeling gigs significantly adding to her wealth. Now that Stenhouse has his first-ever win at the highest level of NASCAR under his belt, he could be looking at potential endorsement deals.
#3. NASCAR’s Power Couple
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick began dating in 2013, shortly after Patrick’s divorce from her ex-husband, Paul Edward Hospenthal, her physical therapist. Their relationship had a few ups and downs, especially considering they’re both competitors. The now 35-year-old Patrick is relatively more famous in the racing circuit.
For a long time, Stenhouse was known as simply ‘Danica Patrick’s boyfriend.’ The 29-year-old even admitted as much when asked about it once by a reporter. But they can keep their differences and professional lives out of their relationship. Patrick even jokes that her man knows her very well when he bought her a treadmill one Valentine’s Day. Not the ideal present for many girls, but for a workout addict like Patrick, it’s perfect! Stenhouse even jokes that she only talks about the races she beats him in, and not the ones she’s lost to him.
But are Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick married? At this time, it’s too early to call Patrick Ricky Stenhouse Jr’s wife. They are pretty comfortable with how their relationship is going now, even if they’re not married. Their colleague, Dale Earnhardt Jr., got married this past New Year’s Eve, with Stenhouse and Patrick in attendance at the wedding. Patrick won the bouquet toss, which she shared on her Instagram, making fans hope for wedding bells for the couple in the near future.
