Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Sulks over the “Crazy and Devastating” NASCAR Offseason

Other than the drama over the charter lawsuit, no drama was expected of the NASCAR off-season ahead of the 2026 season. But fate had different plans, as the community witnessed tragic death of two key figures associated with sport. Ex-Truck champion Greg Biffle and family was killed in a plane crash while Denny Hamlin lost his father Dennis Hamlin in a housefire.  

2023 Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was one of the many drivers in the community was heartbroken over the loses, as the sport is closely integrated family. In his latest interview the veteran Hyak Motorsports driver pointed out that the sport is a close nit family despite rivalries, and everyone feels sadness when tragedies happen.

Yeah, NASCAR and motorsports in general is, you could say big, but it’s a small family. It’s a massive footprint, but everybody’s really integrated, really close, and everybody feels that no matter what happens.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. told Fox News Digital.

He then went onto recall the Biffle family tragedy and Hamlin tragedy. The former was one of the most respected humanitarians the sport has ever seen and the whole community loved him over it. In the case of the latter, everyone in the community knows how much Denny Hamlin loves his dad and how desperate he was to win a championship for his Dad, whose health was already failing.   

You know, Greg and his family, super sad, super tragic, and then you have Denny, who, it’s very public that he was trying to win that championship for his dad, didn’t think his dad was going to make it that much longer.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. added.

The Hyak driver admitted that the 2026 season could have been the year Hamlin would have gotten the opportunity to win the championship for his father and fate has stolen that opportunity from the JGR racer. The injury to his mother from the fire makes the situation concerning as well. Its why the veteran Chevy driver branded the season crazy and devastating.

But who knows, he may have won the championship this year and his dad could have made it. But the tragic fire that took his dad and has his mom in the hospital, like, man, it’s just, it’s been a crazy, devastating offseason.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. asserted.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. says every racer ger back on the track and see things calm down

One-way Stenhouse Jr. thing the driver can get things to clam down is to get back in a car and race again. He believes the majority of the garage wants to off-season to ends to soon and get back together so that they can support each other through the tough times.

I think we’re all just ready to get back on track, to get things that kind of let’s see if it’ll calm down a little bit. Just a tough offseason, for sure. But I think everybody has rallied around each other, rallied around those affected with the families, and we pick each other up.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said.

The comments from the veteran racer seems to be on point, as coming together as a community, standing up with each other and grieving together is the right to do. It would be interesting to see how the racing community is going to honor the lost souls in the 2026 season.

Also Read: Kenny Wallace Blasts Critics of Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell’s Dirt Race Ventures

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