Stenhouse signs on for multiple years with Hyak
HARRISBURG, N.C. — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with Hyak Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series, the team announced Monday.
Stenhouse will remain in the No. 47 Chevrolet for the “foreseeable future,” according to the team.
“I’m thrilled to finally get this contract extension done. It’s something we’ve been working on for a while and I’m really thankful to everyone at Hyak Motorsports,” Stenhouse said. “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.”
Stenhouse sits 27th in the Cup Series points standings with an average finish on track to outdo last season (22.5 vs. 22.9). He has two wins with Hyak, including a 2023 Daytona 500 win that put the team in the playoffs.
“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,” said Gordon Smith, owner of Hyak Motorsports. “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.”
The two-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion first came to the Cup Series thanks to Jack Roush. However, his foray into the Cup Series in 2013 coincided with Roush’s downfall. Despite getting two wins and making the Chase in 2017, he struggled and was ‘traded’ to the No. 47 team in 2019.
The trade has worked out for Stenhouse, who has remained the team’s stalwart driver as ownership has transitioned to a group Gordon Smith now heads as Hyak Motorsports.
“Gordon’s 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,” Stenhouse said.
Stenhouse also won at Talladega in fall 2024. That was his second and most recent win with the team in six seasons. It tied his wins total in the same time with Roush.
Next up is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he finished 11th last year.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com