At the end of this week, the NASCAR Cup Series will be on track for The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. It will be the first look for these teams, some who have new drivers, new sponsors, and expanded rosters. For one team, they will feature a new name and look. Hyak Motorsports, formerly JTG-Daugherty Racing, rebranded after Kroger left for RFK Racing. Under a new look, how will Hyak Motorsports #47 perform at Bowman Gray as well as in 16 Days to Daytona?
The #47 Team
![Days to Daytona: Hyak Motorsports #47 - Team](https://i0.wp.com/pitpassnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/47-Team.jpg?resize=612%2C459&ssl=1)
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Crew Chief: Mike Kelley
Sponsors: SunnyD
2024 Statistics: 1 Win, 3 Top-5s, 6 Top-10s, 28 Laps Led, 22.1 Average Finish
2025 Season Preview
![Days to Daytona: Hyak Motorsports #47 - Stenhouse](https://i0.wp.com/pitpassnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Stenhouse.jpg?resize=612%2C408&ssl=1)
Ramifications of Kroger Loss
Losing a major sponsor is always a significant blow to an organization’s operations. However, when said sponsor had ownership stake in the team, that departure might cut deeper. At the time of this writing, SunnyD is the only sponsor officially announced for the 47 in 2025. While leaks and rumblings of other sponsors float around, none of those have been solidified. Is the loss of Kroger (and the original owners) going to hurt the team’s performance in 2025?
Belief in Ricky Stenhouse Jr
After a strong 2023 season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr took a bit of a step back last year. Other than Top-5s, Stenhouse experienced a dip in every statistical category. After a 2023 where the 47 were contending for Top-15 in points, last year’s performance disappointed. That said, Stenhouse feels like the right driver for the team. Clearly, there is faith in the driver and it has been rewarded with back-to-back winning seasons. If the ownership shuffle does not spoil what is under the hood, 2025 could be a rebound and return the Hyak Motorsports to their upward momentum.
Superspeedway Savant
Although it arrived too late to clinch a playoff spot, Ricky Stenhouse Jr again managed to pick up a win on a superspeedway. The 2023 Daytona 500 champion barely nosed ahead of Brad Keselowski at the start/finish line during the Talladega playoff race. With a chunk of his car’s side missing, Stenhouse solidified his first time winning in consecutive seasons. It also brought his career Cup win total to 4, all of which have been at either Daytona or Talladega. Plus, Stenhouse joins William Byron, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott as the only drivers to win multiple superspeedway races in the NextGen car.
Daytona 500 Outlook
![Ricky Stenhouse Jr](https://i0.wp.com/pitpassnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Stenhouse-Daytona.jpg?resize=612%2C408&ssl=1)
As mentioned above, Ricky Stenhouse Jr has figured out the ways of winning on the superspeedways. NextGen or Gen6 does not matter, Stenhouse is a force to be reckoned with in the pack. Also, he is known to cause an accident or two at the same races. You win some, you lose some.
At Daytona, Ricky Stenhouse Jr is a boom or bust prospect. In 25 starts, Stenhouse has picked up 2 wins, including the 2023 Daytona 500. However, the remaining 23 starts have featured only 2 other Top-10s and 8 DNFs. Recently, the wrecker has been the end of Stenhouse’s Daytona days. In his last 6 Daytona starts, 5 have ended with the 47 car behind the wall. However, that one non-DNF was the 500 win. If you are a betting person, Stenhouse is risky but could end up having a massive upside.
Days to Daytona Countdown
40 Days: Team Penske #22; 39 Days: Team Penske #12; 38 Days: Hendrick #24;
37 Days: 23XI Racing #45; 36 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #20;
35 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #5; 34 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #9
33 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #11, 32 Days: Henrick Motorsports #48;
31 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #19; 30 Days: Team Penske #2;
29 Days: Trackhouse Racing #99; 28 Days: RFK Racing #6;
27 Days: Trackhouse Racing #88; 26 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #54;
25 Days: Wood Brothers Racing #21; 24 Days: RFK Racing #17;
23 Days: 23XI Racing #23; 22 Days: Trackhouse Racing #1;
21 Days: Richard Childress Racing #8; 20 Days: Spire Motorsports #77;
19 Days: Front Row Motorsports #38; 18 Days: Front Row Motorsports #34
17 Days: Front Row Motorsports #4