NASCAR Team Silences Shutdown Rumors With Multi-Year Announcement for Cup Star

The word “Hyak” comes from Chinook Jargon, a Pacific Northwest trade language. It means ‘fast’ or ‘swift,’ and was carefully picked when the team rebranded from JTG Daugherty Racing ahead of 2025. And it was about intent. After all, the organization, whose roots stretch to 1995 as ST Motorsports, had weathered ownership changes, technical alliance shifts, and the transition to the charter era without ever going dark. But last week, for the first time, genuine shutdown speculation entered the conversation. And once again, by Monday morning, Hyak had answered it in the loudest possible way.

Garage rumors had been suggesting that Hyak Motorsports could potentially close its doors by the end of 2026, pointing to the team’s single-car structure and inconsistent results as signs of vulnerability. Amidst that, the team chose to establish truth by announcing a multi-year contract extension for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., ensuring the No. 47 Chevrolet stays at the centre of the organisation beyond 2027 – turning what had been a story about survival into one about commitment.

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“I‘m thrilled to finally get this contract extension done. It’s something we’ve been working on for a while, and I‘m really thankful to everyone at Hyak Motorsports, especially Gordon,” Stenhouse said, not attempting to hide his relief.

“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.”

There were a few factors behind the rumors picking up steam.

First, Kroger, the team’s primary sponsor for over a decade, had departed for RFK Racing ahead of 2025, creating a significant financial hole that the new ownership group under Gordon Smith has been working to fill since taking over in late 2023.

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Second, Brad Keselowski had been publicly searching for a third charter to secure Ryan Preece’s future at RFK Racing beyond 2026, and with no charters on the open market, Hyak’s single charter, valued somewhere between $40 million and $80 million following the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports settlement with NASCAR, made the team an obvious target for speculation.

Keselowski himself acknowledged the price range, saying: “As it stands today, there are no charters that I’m aware of that are for sale. If there was, we’ve certainly talked to everybody that we think could potentially sell one, and they know our interest.”

So, suddenly, people were talking about whether Stenhouse might lose his ride altogether. Still, the story around his uncertain future goes further than this.

In September 2025, reports named Stenhouse as a candidate to replace Justin Haley in the Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet for 2026, suggesting that Spire could negotiate a contract buyout if they wanted him badly enough. While Stenhouse was one of several names floated, his name carried the most traction, given Haley’s struggles.

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In fact, Stenhouse had to address it directly on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, saying: “For me, you know, we re-did my contract last year with HYAK Motorsports. So, I’m here through [20]26, unless they tell me otherwise, or unless we redo another one and stay there for longer.”

Guess we know which option the team picked.