NASCAR Cup Series team Hyak Motorsports has confirmed that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has signed a new multi-year contract extension.
Stenhouse joined the team in 2020 under its previous guise as JTG Daugherty Racing, and has been responsible for two of the team's three Cup Series wins – the 2023 Daytona 500, and the 2024 Yellawood 500 at Talladega.
All four of Stenhouse's career wins have come at either Daytona or Talladega, and he came close to adding a fifth win to that tally with second place at this year's Daytona 500.
A weird quirk of the team, which means absolutely nothing, is that between its No. 47 car (now driven by Stenhouse) and its now-defunct No. 37, it has finished exactly once in every place between first and sixth in the Daytona 500, as well as once each in eighth and tenth. Only seventh and ninth to go to complete the one-off top ten!
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Hyak looking forward to future with Stenhouse
Owner Gordon Smith said in a team statement: “Ricky has been a huge part of what we’re building at Hyak Motorsports, and we’re proud to continue this partnership for years to come.
"He brings experience, leadership, and a competitive mindset every weekend, and we believe there’s still a lot ahead for this team with Ricky in the No. 47.”
Stenhouse is one of a number of Cup Series drivers to sign new deals already this year and fend off free agency, with Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick and Carson Hocevar among them.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. statement on contract extension
“I’m thrilled to finally get this contract extension done," Stenhouse said. "It’s something we’ve been working on for a while, and I’m really thankful to everyone at Hyak Motorsports, especially Gordon.
"His vision for this race team and the passion he brings to it every single day is special. A lot of people may not know Gordon that well yet, but he truly cares about motorsports, NASCAR, and this No. 47 team, and that shows in everything he does.
"Along with Gordon, Brad, Mark, Ernie, and everyone at Hyak Motorsports, I feel like we’re continuing to improve week after week. It’s never easy being a single-car team, but the experience we’re gaining and the notebook we’re building is helping us get better and better.
"More than anything, this team feels like one big family. On and off the racetrack, we’re building something that has me really excited about the future of Hyak Motorsports and what we can accomplish together moving forward.”
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