NASCAR: Stenhouse honors Clauson with 2nd place

This could be the most bittersweet runner-up finish Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will ever have.

Stenhouse, who started 25th but tied his career-best finish at Sunday's rain-delayed Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol, was a close friend of Bryan Clauson. Stenhouse and girlfriend Danica Patrick have been a visible presence the past few weeks at the Knoxville Nationals and other family events that honored the 27-year-old, who died August 7 from injuries suffered at the Belleville Nationals the night before.

Stenhouse admitted after Sunday's race – the first Sprint Cup event since Clauson's death – that recent events have taken a toll.

"Starting sixth on that last restart with [Harvick] starting on the front row was tough," Stenhouse told NBCSN after the race. "We knew we were going to have to get everything perfect, and it took me a minute to get the top going but ... I wanted to give up when we were two [laps] down, but I remembered we had Bryan Clauson's tribute car here, and his favorite helmet, and I dug deep and the guys dug deep and made a lost of changes that made our Fastenal Ford a lot better.

"We really wanted to park it in Victory Lane for his whole family and all of his friends and fans for Tim, Di, Taylor and Lauren his fiancée. ... Just a little bit short."

Stenhouse's tribute included Clauson's name over the door and a special helmet.

Stenhouse was watching the Belleville race and knew right away that Clauson’s accident was serious.

“The ambulances hadn’t even gotten [to Bryan] I just had a feeling that it wasn’t good,” he said. “I started Saturday night and went through a roller coaster that whole night. I was getting updated throughout the night and I was up until about 2 o’clock, 2:30 that morning.

“It’s definitely been tough, but going to Knoxville and being with his family, being with his fiancée [Lauren, pictured above], and being with friends – we all had a great time together, talking about it, talking through things, and talking about all the good things that Bryan did, and his organ donation really helped a lot of us really feel comforted with what he was still doing after the fact. The service [this past Thursday] was one of the toughest days that I think I had. But just telling stories, really I think helped us get through it."

Stenhouse paced the Knoxville Nationals qualifying night field in Clauson’s 17w car three days after Clauson’s death. Stenhouse was asked several times how tough it was to race at Bristol, and he pointed to the strength he’s seen from Clauson’s family and friends, especially Clauson’s dad Tim, mom Di and fiancée Lauren, who were in attendance at Bristol on Saturday.

“It’s not tough to come to race, because Bryan was trying to run 200 races, so talking to his family and friends, he’d be disappointed if we wouldn’t have come here and give it our best effort, so I think hanging out with the family at Knoxville and last week at the funeral was pretty good for all of us to celebrate his life and talk about all the good times that we had together,” Stenhouse said. “And we’re looking forward to Wednesday and Kokomo, Indiana, having a celebration of life for him, and a lot of good friends are going to be there so it’s going to be a lot of fun.

“I know Bryan was watching and wanting us to win tonight, and we gave it all we had. He was trying to run 200 races … talking with Tim, Bryan’s dad, and he was like, man, I feel like Bryan’s probably mad at me right now because I’m not home right now working on a midget, to get it ready to go racing. Bryan, all he wanted to do was race, and that’s what he was doing, and leading one of the biggest races of the year … if he had to choose a way to go out I feel like that was the way he wanted.”