“You need to come”: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. remembers denying his wife Madyson’s request for a life-changing surprise

NASCAR on NBC took turns with several Cup Series like Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to ask them about their engagement stories. As the drivers took trips down memory lane, Stenhouse Jr. recalled proposing to his girlfriend (now wife) Madyson Joye back in November 2021.

Stenhouse Jr. wanted to pop the big question to Madyson while on a hike to Cathedral Rock in Sedona, California but she didn’t want to get out of the car initially that day because of the cold weather.

“We’re getting ready to go for the hike and she’s like, “Y’all just go, I’m just going to stay in the car…it’s too cold.’ I was like, ‘Uh, no, you need to come with us!” Ricky Stenhouse Jr. laughed. (0:26)

Stenhouse currently drives the No. 47 machine for JTG Daugherty Racing, recently rebranded as Hyak Motorsports. Last year, the two-time Xfinity Series champion won the 65th running of the crown jewel Daytona 500.

Stenhouse Jr.’s most recent victory in the NASCAR Cup Series came at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2024. He closed the season 25th in points with six top-10s and three top-5s to his credit.

Madyson is often seen at the tracks cheering for her husband. This year in July, the couple welcomed a baby boy to their family, who they lovingly named Stetson Steele Stenhouse.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s wife shares pictures of her “new bestie”

Earlier this month, Madyson took to her Instagram stories and unveiled a freshly cleaned living room for her soon-to-be best friend at Slide Job Ranch, a 300-acre ranch in North Carolina that she co-owns alongside Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Madyson’s “bestie” arrived just recently. She shared an image of the “bestie” and captioned it,

“Instant besties 💕”

(Source: Madyson Joye/Instagram)

Owning a ranch was a childhood dream for Stenhouse Jr. To fulfill that dream, he bought a piece of land in 2014, where Slide Job Ranch is currently located. Stenhouse added a pair of longhorns to his ranch in 2019. He started adding more animals to his ranch the next year after meeting Madyson.

"We're so happy to share a little piece of our paradise with you," Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his wife said in a joint statement (via slidejobranch.com) Slide Job Ranch is where we spend our time in North Carolina, along with our longhorns, donkeys, and goldendoodles. We created the SJR apparel brand for people who get it. We work hard, play harder, and love a good time with family & friends. We hope you love repping Slide Job Ranch."

Besides the two cows seen in Madyson’s story, Slide Job Ranch is the home to five miniature donkeys and 12 miniature longhorns. At fans’ request, Stenhouse Jr. has launched an online apparel store that sells SJR merchandise as well.