Stenhouse Jr. beats girlfriend Danica Patrick for Rookie of the Year

Danica and Ricky flirting

Though Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't enjoy as much success as he might have liked in 2014, his performance was strong enough to secure Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Stenhouse, who finished 22nd Sunday, beat out girlfriend Danica Patrick for the recognition as top rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "It means a lot, looking at all the other names that have won this award," Stenhouse said.

"It definitely wasn't the season that we wanted, but we slowly but surely got a little bit better throughout the season. I was proud of what we did, of getting better, qualifying better, having runs up front, leading laps throughout this year. I thought we had a chance at winning some races there, at least being in contention. I was proud of those moments. All in all, it was a huge learning experience. Thankful we made it through; it's behind us now. We can move on to next year, look on improving every spot at every track that we can in the final points standings." NASCAR Wire Service