NASCAR: The case for — and against — all 16 playoff drivers

NASCAR playoff contenders: No. 14 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the first driver to punch his ticket to the playoffs this season, winning the Daytona 500 in February in a nail-biting finish.

The case for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Outside of his Daytona 500 win, Stenhouse’s 2023 season has been a significant step up from his past seasons with JTG Daugherty Racing. In just the first 26 races this season, Stenhouse has already posted seven top 10 finishes, which is more than he has recorded in any other full season with the team. Additionally, Stenhouse’s average finish is 16.7, which is the highest of his career.

Stenhouse has been able to find some true consistency on intermediate tracks this season, and consistency is extremely important in the playoffs. Should he continue that newfound consistency, it’s far from unfeasible for him to advance.

The case against Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

While his improvements this season haven’t gone unnoticed, Stenhouse still finds himself as a heavy underdog in the playoffs. While consistent top 15 runs mark a welcome change for JTG Daugherty Racing, that still isn’t enough to make some serious noise in the playoffs.

In order to make it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway this year, Stenhouse needs a lot to go his way throughout the playoffs. While there is technically a greater than zero percent chance that it happens, it isn’t something that anyone is expecting. Him advancing to the second round of the playoffs is a real possibility, but anything further than that is a bit of a stretch.