Ricky Stenhouse Jr., whose resume includes a Daytona 500 victory, has signed a contract extension with Hyak Motorsports. In his 7th season with the Chevrolet team, Stenhouse extends his time as the team's sole driver in what is said to be a "multi-year extension."
Stenhouse is 38 years old, the 6th-oldest full-time NASCAR driver. He is younger than Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski.
Ricky Stenhouse and Hyak Motorsports
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. During NASCAR Driver Introductions. (Photo by Karl Anderson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)(Photo by Karl Anderson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Stenhouse is currently 27th in the NASCAR Cup Series Driver Standings, 90 points out of the bubble. His season is lacking, with just 2 top-10s and 1 top-5.
In his career with Hyak Motorsports, Stenhouse has 216 starts, 2 wins (Daytona, Talladega), 11 top-5's, and 29 top-10's. Being that Hyak Motorsports is widely viewed as among the bottom-3 teams in the Cup Series, the results are as good as they can hope for.
Other low-end teams include Wood Brothers Racing, Rick Ware Racing, and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, among others. Wood Brothers has 2 wins in that timespan since 2020, while Rick Ware Racing and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB have zero. That puts into perspective how good 2 wins are for a one-car team.
Stenhouse expressed excitement about the contract extension: "I'm thrilled to get this contract extension done finally." "It's something we've been working on for a while, and I'm really thankful to everyone at Hyak Motorsports, especially Gordon."
Stenhouse goes on to explain, "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." While it is difficult for the team to earn a playoff spot, they will keep gunning for gold. Stenhouse's best finish was in 2023, when he placed 16th.
Hyak Motorsports works with Hendrick Motorsports in racing development. The pipeline did not offer all that much for any driver to replace Stenhouse after the 2026 season. For such a small team, it is better to have an experienced winner in Stenhouse than any 'young gun.' The No. 47 is here to stay, and its best chance at another win will be at Daytona on August 29, where Stenhouse is best at performing.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
