Stenhouse Jr. will be a contender for the 2006 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. might be only 18, but he already has 12 years of racing experience. In 2006, he plans to put it all to use on the World of Outlaws Sprint Series circuit, where he will compete in what will be a hotly contested battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award.
A native of Olive Branch, Miss., Stenhouse Jr. became a karting star at a young age. While he wracked up nearly 50 victories and posted almost 100 podium finishes in a kart, his career path was beginning to take shape. At 15, he climbed aboard his Dad’s 410 sprinter on an open practice night at Delta Bowl Speedway. After an impressive performance, he became the driver only a few days later.
Stenhouse Jr. has continued to follow his racing instincts and by 2003 he was voted the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame poll’s 360 Driver of the Year after posting a victory with 14 top-10 runs.
Among his victories the following season, Stenhouse Jr. earned a win in an American Sprint Car Series National Event. That led him to 2005 when he raced with several series, including seven times against the World of Outlaws. In addition, Stenhouse Jr. found success with the United Sprint Car Series, where he finished third in points in the Mid-South Region and recorded three wins and 10 top-fives. In races with the ASCS last season, Stenhouse Jr. finished in the top 12 in the series’ national standings. In all, he had four victories, 23 top-fives, 34 top-10s in ’05.
