From punching Kyle Busch at the All-Star Race in 2024 to blowing steam at Carson Hocevar in Mexico City this year, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sure knows how to dominate headlines. “I will beat your a– when we are back in the States,” Ricky told Hocevar in Mexico. But before he gets to do that, he’s reportedly been making silent moves off the track. The Hyak Motorsports driver has taken up a very different kind of adventure, and once NASCAR fans caught wind of his latest off-track move, let’s say the reaction wasn’t exactly quiet. They tied it all back to his feud with Hocevar, with hilarious theories and reactions following.

This time, Ricky Stenhouse Junior has made headlines not for a finish line cross or a fist thrown, but for a deal that’s straight-out jaw-dropping.

The 2023 Daytona 500 winner has sold his massive equestrian estate near Charlotte, North Carolina, for a staggering $12.2 million, a record-breaking figure for the area. The property spans around 140 acres in Mooresville, just north of Lake Norman and roughly 20 miles from Charlotte.

It’s a hotspot for NASCAR elite, given its proximity to Charlotte Motor Speedway and the headquarters of very important teams. Stenhouse Junior originally purchased the estate for $3.8 million in 2013. It was first listed at $15.995 million in 2022, later adjusted to $12.995 million. But in a surprising twist, the estate wasn’t even on the market when it sold.

According to Josh Tucker of Corcoran HM properties, who represented the couple with colleague Joey Adams, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his wife, Madison Stenhouse, had been planning to take it off the listings when a South Florida buyer swooped in with an all-cash offer. The couple who called the property ‘Slide Job Ranch,‘ as a nod to a passing maneuver in motorsports, aren’t moving far.

“They weren’t really looking to sell,” Tucker explains. “But the deal was strong.” he didn’t reveal the identity of the buyers, only confirming their location and the fact that the offer came in unexpectedly. Moreover, the couple has found their new home. In 2018, they bought another 160-acre parcel right next door for an undisclosed price and are now considering building a new home there, according to Tucker.

Interestingly, Slide Job Ranch has a history with NASCAR royalty. Before Stenhouse, it was co-owned by fellow racers Ernie Irvan and John Nemechek, adding to the property’s deep motorsports roots. From racetrack to real estate, Stenhouse knows how to play his hand. And, boy, did social media go all in.

The incident came to the forefront when a Redditor shared a tweet from The Wall Street Journal on the social media platform, captioned, “(WSJ) Exclusive: Race-car driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has sold a roughly 140-acre equestrian estate near Charlotte, N.C., for $12.2 million, a record for the area and more than triple what he paid for it 12 years ago”. 

And with a deal this big, it’s safe to say fans were going to have a lot to say, and they absolutely did.

NASCAR fans go off after Ricky’s big move

News of the sale may have gone through quietly on paper, but online? Not a chance. The Reddit NASCAR community did what it does best: turning a surprise real estate deal into a full-blown event. And when the property in question is called a slide job branch, and the seller has a track record of post-race punches, the internet needs no invitation.

Plenty of fans saw the $12.2 million sale through the only lens that matters: Ricky being Ricky. “Stocking up the fine account. Watch out, Carson,” one fan posted, referencing the Hyak Motorsports driver’s heated exchanges with Carson Hocevar at Mexico City and Nashville, while preempting a reaction. Another one joked, saying, “Bro is getting his bail money ready.” When your public image includes a right hook to Kyle Busch, these comments write themselves.

Others leaned into the chaos with their casual sarcasm, praising Ricky’s business ventures, “And here I thought he only knew how to flip cars. Good for Ricky.” Another speculated that the No. 77 driver might have bought the property himself, writing, “Maybe Carson bought it to prove he was really sorry,” or perhaps just to have a quiet place to disappear for a while, as another fan added, “Hocevar’s out here buying up land so he can find somewhere to hide at…”

The nicknames came in hot too, “Richie Bighouse Jr.” being a crowd favorite, with “Real estate tycoon Ricky Stenhouse Jr.” not far behind. One fan wrapped it all up with the punchline that probably deserves a trademark: “Slide job entertainment LLC sells slide job ranch .” Selling a house rarely makes waves like this, but then again, Ricky Stenhouse Junior doesn’t do anything quietly.

Whether he is locking horns on the track or offloading property like a businessman with a plan, the reactions prove one thing: No matter what he’s up to, fans are watching closely. With Pocono right around the corner, all eyes will be on a possible next Hocevar-Stenhouse Jr. battle. What do you think of their feud? Let us know in the comments!