Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Set to Wheel a Clauson-Marshall Racing Midget for The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.
Story By: CLAUSON-MARSHALL RACING MEDIA
Photo By: JOHN DADALT / RACERSGUIDE.COM
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. –December 3, 2016- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will join Clauson-Marshall Racing for the running of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals next month at the Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Raceway.
Stenhouse joins the crowing all-star lineup fielded by Clauson-Marshall Racing, which also includes eight-time World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz and young gun Tyler Courtney.
This is the second time that Stenhouse will drive for the Clauson-Marshall Racing squad. He raced for the team during the Jason Leffler Memorial at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Ill., in October.
Stenhouse raced for Bryan Clauson in recent renditions of the Chili Bowl and has raced into a pair of Saturday night championship features under the Clauson banner.
“I think it would be more of a surprise if we didn’t have Ricky as one of the drivers for BC’s Dream Team,” team co-owner Tim Clauson said. “Ricky and Bryan were more than just friends, they were like brothers.”
Bryan Clauson died following an incident during the Belleville Midget Nationals in Belleville, Kan., last August.
“Since Bryan’s passing, Ricky has taken it upon himself to be an ambassador for not only Bryan, but for our whole family,” Tim Clauson said. “Watching and listening to him talk about his friend and the gift of Organ Donation has been a true Godsend to our entire family.”
The pairing for the upcoming Chili Bowl Nationals was never in doubt.
“I confided in Ricky pretty quickly that I knew Bryan would want me to ‘Race On’,” Tim Clauson said. “Whether it was a six-car team or just one car out of my garage, Ricky and I would always run Chili Bowl together for Bryan.”
Richard and Jennifer Marshall first partnered with Stenhouse on the track in 2014 after their initial meeting several years ago.
“He instantly made us feel at home, introduced us to Bryan and the Clauson family, his family and then to many of our best friends to this day,” the Marshall’s said. “In doing so, he has become family to us and as one of Bryan’s best friends, we have also shared our sorrow in his loss.
“He continues to be a class act on and off the track and just plain fun to watch race.”
Embarking upon his 11th career Chili Bowl, Stenhouse will be gunning for his fifth overall Saturday night feature start with the Clauson-Marshall Racing team.
“This will be a Chili Bowl that I am looking forward to probably the most out of any,” Stenhouse said. “To help represent Bryan’s dream of putting great cars on the track with a great team, I’m very fortunate to call the Clausons and Marshall family part of my own family.”
Stenhouse recognizes that he represents the team not only on the track, but off the track as well.
“I want to do my best in representing Bryan not only at the Chili Bowl, but throughout the rest of my life and career,” Stenhouse said “We were great friends and as Tim said, I will cherish forever the week we had this summer going up and down the road in the motorhome, just racing and having fun and then having Father’s Day with our Dad’s was incredible.”
