Stenhouse Secures Strong Playoff Spot Ahead of Coca-Cola 600

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is holding a provisional playoff spot ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and is feeling confident about his team’s performance so far this season. After twelve races, Stenhouse is 14th in the Cup Series points standings and 15th in the playoff grid.

His average finish is 17.3, nearly matching his career-best season in 2017, where he earned two wins and ended the year with a 17.1 average finish. Through steady race execution and few mistakes, Stenhouse’s number 47 team has avoided incidents that have ended the day for many of their competitors.

Stenhouse became part of Hyak Motorsports this offseason, following several years with JTG Daugherty Racing. The switch brought about a new name, but not much else changed inside the team.

Most of the crew stayed together, and the group’s chemistry made it easy to keep working towards their goals. At the end of last season, a win at Talladega Superspeedway provided a serious boost.

Stenhouse and crew chief Mike Kelley continued to build on that momentum, focusing on making steady improvements while sticking to their proven approach. Consistent results have come from keeping their car intact throughout races.

This year, Stenhouse has completed all but three of the 3,331 laps run in the Cup Series. By avoiding on-track incidents at places like Talladega, Atlanta, and Daytona, he’s kept pace with teams often seen as more dominant.

He believes that sticking to the plan, finishing races, and avoiding risky moves are all paying off in the points standings. There’s optimism about finding even more speed and better handling in the coming weeks.

Looking at recent races, there have been standouts and learning opportunities. Stenhouse and his team “nailed it” at Texas, moving quickly up the field and staying up front until the checkered flag.

At Kansas, a penalty during green-flag stops cost him valuable track position, but he and the team managed a 19th-place finish after getting caught up in pit road trouble. Even on days where a low finish seemed likely, they kept fighting and collected important points.

As the focus shifts to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Stenhouse is aiming to continue his strong runs at Charlotte. The 600-mile event is the longest and one of the most important on the schedule, paying extra points due to its length and four-stage format.

In the past seven Coke 600 races, Stenhouse has four top-10 finishes, including a best finish of fifth in 2019. He likes the racing surface at Charlotte, saying there’s flexibility to move around and find speed in different grooves, especially as the track’s bumps and changing conditions keep drivers on their toes.

During Saturday’s practice, Stenhouse posted the 11th fastest lap and matched that effort during qualifying, putting him in a solid position to start Sunday night’s race. He’s hoping that being in the top 10 all night will help gather valuable points at every stage and set up a strong finish.

For now, his focus remains on consistent execution, staying out of trouble, and finding ways to make each car better each week. Stenhouse’s approach has kept him within reach of a playoff berth as the regular season continues.

If his team can keep up the steady pace and make even small gains in performance, they could see more top results and perhaps another victory before the regular season ends. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, offering another big test and a chance for Stenhouse to solidify his spot in the playoffs.