Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has inked a multi-year contract extension to continue to drive the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry in the NASCAR Cup Series division for the foreseeable future and beyond the 2026 season.
The news comes as Stenhouse, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion from Olive Branch, Mississippi, is currently campaigning in his 14th consecutive season in the Cup Series division and seventh with Hyak Motorsports. He is currently in 27th place in the 2026 driver’s standings. and has recorded a runner-up result in this year’s 68th running of the Daytona 500, two top-10 results with an average finish of 22.5 through 12 scheduled events.
“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 [Smith, owner of Hyak Motorsports]. 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.”
Stenhouse joined Hyak Motorsports, formerly known as JTG-Daugherty Racing, at the start of the 2020 Cup season. His first start with the organization was the 62nd running of the Daytona 500, in which he won the pole position and finished in 20th place.
Through 228 starts with Hyak (including the first 12 events of the 2026 season), Stenhouse has won twice: the 2023 Daytona 500 and the 2024 YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. He has also recorded 12 top-five results, 31 top-10 results, 261 laps led and one Playoff appearance, which was during the 2023 season as he settled in 16th place in the standings.
In November 2024, Hyak Motorsports rebranded to its current name from JTG-Daugherty Racing. In addition, Gordon Smith, who joined the organization as a principal owner in late 2023, became a majority owner of Hyak from former owners Tad and Jodi Geschickter, both of whom have left the organization since. Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes and Ernie Cope complete the ownership stake of Hyak.
Under the Hyak brand name, Stenhouse has registered two top-five results and five top-10 results through 48 starts. After finishing in 30th place in the 2025 standings, both Stenhouse and Hyak strive to gain momentum that would enable them to contend for victories and be in contention to make the Chase later in the 2026 season.
“Along with Gordon, Brad [Daugherty], Mark [Hughes], Ernie [Cope], and everyone at Hyak Motorsports, I feel like we’re continuing to improve week after week,” Stenhouse added. “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.”
“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,” Gordon Smith added. “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.”
With his future set, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. The event is scheduled for next Sunday, May 17, at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.
