Senate Concurrent Resolution 559

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OFFERING THE SINCEREST CONGRATULATIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE TO RICKY STENHOUSE, JR., FROM OLIVE BRANCH, MISSISSIPPI, FOR WINNING THE 2023 DAYTONA 500 AFTER A RECORD 212 LAPS.

WHEREAS, to say this year's Daytona 500 was a milestone race is an understatement for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and for NASCAR; and

WHEREAS, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., from Olive Branch, Mississippi, won the Daytona 500 in double overtime and under caution on February 19, 2023, in the longest running of "The Great American Race," which opened the 75th NASCAR season. The double overtime pushed the 65th running of the event to a record 212 laps, a dozen laps beyond the scheduled distance and a whopping 530 miles. "This is unbelievable. This is the site of my last win back in 2017," Stenhouse said after the race in Daytona Beach, Florida. "We worked really hard. We had a couple of shots last year to get a win and fell short. It was a tough season, but hey, we got it done"; and

WHEREAS, this race provided anxious moments before a landmark celebration: The first Daytona 500 winning team co-owned by an African American man and woman. Stenhouse's win for JTG Daugherty Racing was the third of his career. JTG is the first single-car team to win the Daytona 500 since 2011. The team is owned by Tad and Jodi Geschickter, along with former NBA player Brad Daugherty, who is the first African American car owner to win the race, and Jodi Geschickter joined Teresa Earnhardt as female car owners to win the Daytona 500. Earnhardt ran Dale Earnhardt, Inc., when Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., won the Dayton 500 in 2003 and 2004; and

WHEREAS, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., has had a roller-coaster career. Now, 35-year-old Stenhouse has a repeat win at Daytona in NASCAR's biggest race of the season; and

WHEREAS, Stenhouse's other victories came in 2017, at Talladega and the summer race at Daytona. His 199-race winless streak was the fourth-longest span between wins in Cup Series history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research; and

WHEREAS, Stenhouse celebrated the win by scaling the fence at Dayton International Speedway, the Superman move created by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Once Ricky reached the top, he hung and did a pair of pullups before climbing back down to collect the checkered flag. Stenhouse's only other two-Cup wins came in 2017. Stenhouse then packed up his replica version of the Harley J. Earl Trophy for a late-night trip to a Dayton Beach area Waffle House, where he sat with his new hardware on the table and wore a paper crown to mark his achievement; and

WHEREAS, JTS and Stenhouse put the work in, understanding that they are up against the biggest and best in NASCAR for 38 weekends a year. Stenhouse, who with the Daytona 500 win qualified for the playoffs for just the second time in his career proved that JTG is headed in the right direction; and

WHEREAS, Ricky's triumph in double overtime has brought recognition to his career, his home community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby offer the sincerest congratulations of the Legislature to Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., from Olive Branch, Mississippi, for winning the 2023 Daytona 500 after a record 212 laps, and extend our best wishes to Ricky on this memorable occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and his family, forwarded to the home office of NASCAR and the Daytona 500 and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.