It was April 26, 2009. Talladega Superspeedway turned into a theater for one of NASCAR’s most unforgettable upsets. Brad Keselowski, in just his fifth Cup Series start, pulled off what many believed was impossible. Driving an unsponsored part-time ride for James Finch, he held his ground against a hard-blocking Carl Edwards on the final lap. As Edwards’ car flipped into the catch fence and chaos erupted behind them, Keselowski stormed across the line to win the Aaron’s 499. It wasn’t just a victory; it was a declaration.
“I gotta apologize to Carl for wrecking him, but man, the rule is you can’t go below the yellow line. He blocked, and I wasn’t going below it. I don’t want to wreck a guy, but you’re forcing the situation,” Keselowski said in victory lane. That Talladega moment became an instant part of NASCAR’s underdog story. Keselowski didn’t just win a race; he cracked open the door for outsiders. At a track known for Big Ones and big names, he earned his first career Cup victory with boldness and nerve.
Now, 16 years later, Keselowski isn’t the surprise rookie anymore; he’s the owner and driver at RFK Racing. But the echoes of that Talladega triumph still linger. And this season, one of his drivers is making insiders take notice. As the top-tier teams dominate, some are warning: don’t sleep on the underdogs again. Because the next big shocker might already be warming up on pit road, that too from a team that has failed to give Keselowski a winning run this season.
Underdogs demand respect in the 2025 Cup season!
As the 2025 season rolls into its second half, the powerhouses have staked their ground. Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, and Joe Gibbs Racing have taken command again. They’ve won 12 out of the first 14 races, with a 13th claimed by Josh Berry, racing out of a Penske-affiliated shop. Ten of the current top 16 playoff spots belong to these giants. Ty Gibbs sits on the bubble. All Penske drivers and half of the Hendrick’s fleet are already in. The big three are pulling away, leaving the rest to fight over scraps.
But not everyone’s sold on the idea that the top teams will run away unchallenged. NASCAR insider Dave Moody recently sounded the alarm. He pointed to two drivers, Ryan Preece and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., as serious threats. “I have been exceedingly impressed with Ryan Preece. He has gone out and run Top 10, 15 on a regular basis. He’s contended for wins. He’s had his Top 5 finishes. He had a bad run this past weekend but had consecutive Top 10s in the previous two weeks at Charlotte and Kansas… I just think he’s done an amazing job,” Moody said in the NASCAR Live podcast.
Moody also flagged Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as a major sleeper. “And the other guy I’m impressed with, or the other team that I’m impressed with right now, is Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. at Hyak Motorsports… For that single car team with no major affiliations, they are well down on the manufacturer gift list. For them to do what they’ve done this year is really pretty phenomenal,” Moody added. These aren’t empty compliments, they’re warnings. And the stats back them up.
NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 24: Ryan Preece 41 Stewart Haas Racing Morton Buildings Ford looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Ally 400 on June 24, 2023, at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, TN. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUN 24 NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon230624458
Ryan Preece has five Top 10s and a third-place finish this season. His average start is 21.6, but his consistent race pace pushes him toward the front. He’s completed 98.93% of laps. That’s elite territory for a mid-pack driver. He’s just two points below the playoff line, despite suffering two DNFs at the Daytona 500 and Texas. Had it not been for the disqualification at Talladega after a runner-up finish, he would’ve already been inside the top 16. Meanwhile, Stenhouse Jr. is quietly making his way to playoffs position with consistent runs.
Stenhouse finished as high as fifth. He has completed over 95% of all laps and kept his car clean with only one DNF this season. That DNF? It came just last Sunday in Nashville, and it wasn’t his fault. Carson Hocevar took him out with a wild move, sending Ricky into the wall and out of the points zone. That single crash from Hocevar wasn’t just a hit, it was a turning point. Stenhouse had been running consistently, hanging just above the playoff cut line. Another top 5 was within his grasp at the Daytona 500, but a late block against Logano took him out of the race, sparking a big one.
One over-aggressive lunge from a young driver trying to make a name, and now Stenhouse finds himself on the outside looking in. Despite finishing second in that same race, the fallout now overshadows Hocevar’s moment. This isn’t just about one race. It’s about what it represents. The underdogs aren’t just hanging around; they’re fighting with everything they’ve got. RFK’s Preece is showing he belongs. Hyak’s Stenhouse is clawing for respect. Both are taking swings at a wall built by Penske, Hendrick, and Gibbs.
Ricky Stenhouse is looking for a payback
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. doesn’t mince words. After Carson Hocevar’s aggressive move in Nashville wrecked his No. 47 car and punted him out of playoff contention, the veteran isn’t pretending it’s all fine. What made it worse? The silence afterward. “I’ve been in this sport a long time. If you make a mistake like that, you generally pick up the phone as quickly as you can, especially if you feel bad about it. I mean, if you don’t, you just roll on with it. No, I’ve not gotten a call from him,” Stenhouse said bluntly during a recent interview.
Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar’s second-place finish didn’t earn him any favors in the garage. Denny Hamlin went as far as to guarantee payback. “Ricky Stenhouse will absolutely wreck Carson Hocevar sometime in the near future. That’s just a fact. I’d put this week’s salary on it. I’m not kidding you… He ain’t gonna punch him… but he will wreck him,” Hamlin said on his podcast.
Hocevar’s co-owner, Jeff Dickerson, admitted he wouldn’t be surprised if someone handled it off-track. “He’s going to go beat the hell out of him. You know what I’m saying? Which is how it probably should be,” Dickerson joked. The tension is real. No calls, no apologies. Just quiet fury from a seasoned driver who’s already swung at Kyle Busch in the past. Everyone’s watching now, because when Ricky shuts a door, he usually slams it hard. And Hocevar? He’s already standing in the crosshairs.
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