NNS: Roush Expects Full Season For Stenhouse

Nationwide

NNS: Roush Expects Full Season For Stenhouse

Jack Roush sounds confident that reigning Nationwide champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will return for another full season in the No. 6 car...

Jared Turner | Posted January 19, 2012 Charlotte, NC

Jack Roush (Left) says driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Right) has a promising future with Roush Fenway Racing. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said last week that he hoped to run a full Nationwide Series schedule in 2012, but indicated such plans hadn’t been confirmed.

That confirmation all but came on Wednesday night – courtesy of team co-owner Jack Roush.

Roush, speaking on XM Satellite Radio host Claire B Lang's “Dialed In” show, hinted strongly that reigning series champion Stenhouse will be back for a full Nationwide season in the No. 6 car of Roush Fenway Racing.

“I think that’s been announced," Roush said. "If it hasn’t been, I’ll have somebody yelling at me, but Ricky is the reigning Nationwide champion and for him to have a chance to repeat, that would be good for his career and it would be good for Roush Fenway and good for Ford Motor Company."

Roush mentioned no sponsorship for the No. 6 Nationwide car but suggested that Stenhouse's future at RFR is on solid footing.

Stenhouse won the 2011 Nationwide championship on the strength of two wins and 26 top 10s in 34 starts.

“Ricky is really a quick study," Roush said on the XM show. "He’s two years into our program and he achieved a Nationwide championship on only his second year. I think if I look back, that will be an all-time best for one of our drivers."

The organization announced earlier this month plans to place Stenhouse in its No. 6 Sprint Cup car for next month's Daytona 500. The team hasn't ruled out additional cameo appearances for Stenhouse, as well.

Stenhouse, with just one Sprint Cup start to date, is looking forward to competing in NASCAR's biggest race for the first time.

“That is going to be exciting," the 24-year-old said during last week's preseason test at Daytona. "I think obviously being in the race is going to be fun but I think the prerace stuff before it and just being a part of it, looking around and seeing all the people here, and just knowing what you are a part of is going to be really special.”

The No. 6 Sprint Cup car, driven last season by David Ragan, won't compete on a regular basis in 2012 as RFR scales back from four full-time Cup teams to three.

But when, and if, new primary sponsorship is acquired to replace 2011 sponsor UPS, Roush expects Stenhouse to be the guy.

“We’re anxious to get that fourth car going and right now Ricky’s in the slot, having coming off a championship in Nationwide, to have that position if I had sponsorship to support it," Roush said on XM Satellite Radio.

As for Trevor Bayne, Stenhouse's 2011 Nationwide teammate, Roush says the plan as of now is for Bayne to run a part-time Nationwide schedule.

Bayne drove the entire schedule last season with the exception of five races he missed while suffering from Lyme disease.

“We’ll have a partial Nationwide program, depending on how much sponsorship’s available, for Trevor," Roush said.

Bayne, the defending winner of the Daytona 500, is also running a partial Sprint Cup schedule for Wood Brothers Racing.

Jared Turner is an Associate Editor for SPEED.com, covering NASCAR and Formula One, and is an Editor for TruckSeries.com. His professional motorsports writing career began in 2005.