Getty Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (left) will have Cottonelle as his primary partner in the Daytona 500.
JTG Daugherty Racing is ready to kick off the 2023 Cup Series season. The team has unveiled its Daytona 500 scheme as part of a sponsorship extension.
The Cup Series team showed off the new look during a special ceremony at the Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. helped executives from Kimberly-Clark remove the car cover from the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro and revealed that he will have Cottonelle as his primary partner for the Great American Race.
“Having a long-term partner and being able to showcase them in the biggest race of the year where they see the value is special,” Stenhouse said in a press release. “It’s cool to have Cottonelle with us for the Daytona 500.
“Daytona doesn’t owe us one, but we’ve got unfinished business there. Also, Mike Kelley has stepped into a crew chief role to lead the team. We have a long history, and we have won races and championships together. We are ready to get the season started.”
Kimberly-Clark Made Another Significant Move
GettyJTG Daugherty Racing will highlight multiple Kimberly-Clark brands.
The debut of the Daytona 500 Cottonelle scheme is part of a significant move for Kimberly-Clark. The company has returned to JTG Daugherty Racing as an “elite partner.”
The company, which supported Stenhouse in multiple races in previous seasons, will return for four events in 2023. Though there will be different Kimberly-Clark brands on the No. 47 for each of the scheduled races.
Cottonelle will be the first of these Kimberly-Clark brands to take over the Chevrolet Camaro. Viva Paper Towels will be the second as it joins Stenhouse for the trip to Sonoma Raceway in June. Kleenex will be the primary partner for the trip to Richmond Raceway in July while SCOTT Brand will round out the schedule at Bristol Motor Speedway in September.
“We had a fast car at Richmond and feel really good about going back there with Kleenex,” Stenhouse added. “We were fast, but some speeding penalties cost us. We learned from our mistakes and are ready to get back there to have a good run with Kleenex.”
The Partnership Follows Multiple Other Important Moves
GettyRicky Stenhouse Jr. made positive moves in 2022.
With Kimberly-Clark returning to JTG Daugherty Racing, the team now has another important piece in place. The team now has multiple partners, a new crew chief, and its main driver.
Stenhouse agreed to return to the Cup Series team in June 2022. He signed a multi-year extension and ensured that he will be in control of the No. 47 entry as he approaches 400 career Cup Series starts.
Additionally, JTG Daugherty Racing brought in a new crew chief. Brian Pattie left the team to join Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, which left a hole atop the No. 47 pit box.
JTG Daugherty Racing responded to the loss by reuniting Stenhouse with another crew chief. Mike Kelley took over the No. 47 team for the 2023 season after previously guiding Stenhouse to consecutive Xfinity Series championships in 2011 and 2012.
Kelley and Stenhouse will continue to work together as the Mississippi native follows up on one of his better seasons at JTG Daugherty Racing. Stenhouse secured five top-10 finishes and one top-five during the 2022 season. He also made history for the organization by securing four consecutive top-10s.