In a high-octane comeback to the public eye, Danica Patrick’s ex-boyfriend, NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., tore up the tarmac at the grand opening of RPM Raceway, the world’s longest multi-level Go-Kart track (indoors).
RPM Raceway is redefining the karting experience with next-generation electric karts powered by R-TECH. RPM’s advanced racing platform also delivers real-time race analytics, live performance tracking to a steering wheel LED display thus creating an interactive racing experience.
Danica Patrick’s Ex-Boyfriend Goes From Cup Series to Karting Fun
Stenhouse, a two-time Xfinity Series champion and winner of the 2023 Daytona 500, was invited to complete the first official lap on the newly launched track. He kicked off the event by challenging attendees to beat his official lap time.
Stenhouse, who dated Patrick for five years while they raced in NASCAR together, shared, “Kicking things off on a record-breaking course like this was an unforgettable experience. RPM Long Island just raised the bar for indoor racing, and I’m excited to be here for it with Team NOS Energy.”
Stenhouse also joined Fox News meteorologist Adam Klotz for a special segment on Fox & Friends, where the pair took a leisurely reconnaissance lap around the 1,600-foot-long course.
During the lap, Klotz asked Patrick’s former boyfriend for racing tips on how to conquer the new track. “What are some other tips you can maybe teach me that will transfer down from to this form of racing? Do you bump a little bit?” he asked.
Stenhouse laughed, replying, “You definitely can. There’s definitely rubbin’s racing. But I would say the biggest part of go-kart racing is really similar to on the road. You want to be smooth. You don’t want to slam on the breaks, you don’t wanna slam on the gas, you want to be nice and smooth.”
“The first few laps will probably be slick. You wanna get heat in your tires, so us on NASCAR on Sunday, warming up our tires, cleaning them off, and that’s to get ready for restart. So when we go into turn one, our tires at at optimal temperature, so we have the most amount of grip when we get there,” advised Stenhouse.
Designed for all skill levels, the new facility’s layout offers three tracks with over 40 corners, high-speed straightaways, underpasses, spiraling ramps, hairpin turns, and drops. The three new tracks can also be combined into RPM’s signature MegaTrack, which can accommodate up to 35 racers at a time.
Patrick and Stenhouse started dating in 2012 and called it quits after five years. Since Patrick has retired from NASCAR and Stenhouse now drives the No.47 for Hyak Motorsports.