2026 season preview: Hyak Motorsports
By Kobe Lambeth
Editor's Note: Today's Hyak Motorsports preview continues NASCAR.com's countdown of team previews for the 2026 Cup Series season.
HYAK MOTORSPORTS
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: Hendrick Motorsports
Driver-crew chief pairings: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.-Mike Kelley (No. 47)
Team outlook: Entering Year 2 under the Hyak Motorsports banner (formerly known as JTG Daugherty Racing), the No. 47 team will work on improving its Cup Series program after finishing 30th in the final standings last year with veteran Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The organization's only top five of the 2025 season was a fifth-place finish in the second race of the year in the EchoPark Speedway spring race. Hyak traditionally brings fast cars to drafting-style tracks, so look for the No. 47 Chevrolet to be in the mix at EchoPark, Daytona and Talladega. The team's most recent Cup win was the 2024 Talladega fall race.
RELATED: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. through the years
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 CHEVROLET
Experience: 13 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series; 472 starts
2025 stats: 30th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 1 top five, 3 top 10s, 0 poles, 8 laps led
Driver Outlook: Stenhouse's sixth season with Hyak proved to be his most challenging year yet behind the wheel of the No. 47 Chevrolet. Last season, the 38-year-old from Olive Branch, Mississippi, had five fewer top fives and top 10s compared to 2024. After missing the playoffs for the last two years, Stenhouse will be hungry to return to Victory Lane following a winless 2025 campaign, in a year he made headlines for an ongoing feud with Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar. Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Stenhouse could put that on-track feud in the rearview mirror and get things trending in the right direction to kick off the new year with his second Harley J. Earl Trophy. The Hyak driver won the 2023 Daytona 500, and given how strong he typically runs on drafting-style tracks, he might be able to capitalize on some early-season momentum with Daytona and EchoPark as the first two races of 2026.