In the high-octane world of NASCAR, change is as inevitable as a pit stop, and just like that, the JTG Daugherty Racing team swapped its old horsepower for a brand-new identity: Hyak Motorsports. As its driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revs up for the 2025 season, he’s eager to leave the bumps of 2024 behind and shift into overdrive.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season proved to be difficult for both JTG and Stenhouse, as the team faced challenges in gaining speed throughout the 36-race schedule. This has also cost Stenhouse his sponsor – Kroger. What does he think about it? Will a fresh perspective and Gordon Smith beginning his second year as principal owner be the change Stenhouse needs? Here is what he thinks.

From Kroger and JTG to Hyak: Ricky Stenhouse Jr on recent change

JTG Daugherty Racing has announced its rebranding to Hyak Motorsports, ushering in a new era for the No. 47 team, and driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse calls it a “big shift” but that it can be great for him and the team, even as the driver has lost his sponsor, Kroger.

“I think the way we’re looking at it is everything’s a little more consolidated. We have all the same great employees and the same crew guys, and processes will stay the same. I feel confident Mike and the guys will keep working hard to try to make our cars faster when it comes to the on-racetrack portion of it. The off-track side of it, Kroger, was such a vital piece to me coming over to JTG at the time. Everything that Kroger has done for me is definitely something to be thankful for. They’ve been a part of our sport for a very long time, and it’s cool to see them not leaving like other big companies have lately. So, it’s cool that they’re sticking around. I wish them the best,” he said his hopes during a recent interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

After years of working together, Kroger moved to a different time on the NASCAR grid, Brad Keselowski’s RFK Racing. It was part of Ryan Preece’s move to the team after SHR announced it would be closing down operations for 2025. Preece, who drove for JTG before his SHR move, worked with Kroger as his sponsor. Cut to 2025 and Kroger will be sponsoring all three of RFK’s cars. While some fans anticipated Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s exit from the team with Kroger gone, the driver cleared the air about his future with the team, citing no hard feelings with the brand.

He added that he felt like starting with a win at the Daytona 500 was huge, but there was more to achieve. “I think we averaged a 14th-place finish throughout most of the regular season, and that’s something we want to get back to, something that we failed to do this year. We just needed speed in our car, and we’re using the offseason to deep dive into that and figure out where we went wrong and how to correct that.” At 37, Stenhouse made the playoffs in 2023 after clinching victory at the Daytona 500, but he experienced a setback this past season, finishing 25th in the standings with just six top-10 finishes and three top-5 finishes, alongside seven races where he did not finish (DNFs). He is now eager to embark on this new chapter with Hyak in just two months.

Ernie Cope, team co-owner, said, “We’re still committed to being a winning team with Ricky and the entire No. 47 crew. This is just the next step in elevating the team to another level.”

What’s changing for JTG with the rebranding for 2025?

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Apart from the name change, the team will be led by Gordon Smith, who took over as the principal owner after the 2023 season. He might put his vision of injecting new energy into the team into practice. The entry of new management into the picture is expected to revive the team’s ambition on all fronts, especially performance. After the win at Talladega, Hyak Motorsports certainly has the capability to win races.

“Becoming the owner of Hyak Motorsports brings an exciting opportunity. I look forward to building on the team’s accomplishments, investing in its future, and driving toward new successes in partnership with our fans, sponsors, and team members,” Smith said. The team is dedicated to pushing boundaries and delivering memorable performances in the 2025 season, starting with the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray on February 2, 2025, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“Our goal is to compete and win races at the highest level of NASCAR. The name change signifies that commitment and desire to be our very best,” said Brad Daugherty, co-owner of the new team. The 2025 season will be the team’s third in NASCAR under current management. Having secured a win in both previous years, they aim to continue this trajectory.

What are your thoughts on the transition?