Coming off the summer off-week following the Brickyard 400, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the Hyak Motorsports No. 47 team enter the remaining 14 races of the season with clarity and long-term stability. Having inked a multiyear contract extension earlier this season to remain the driver for the single-car Chevrolet operation, Stenhouse sits 26th in the point standings.
In a conversation with Racer.com, Stenhouse Jr. evaluated where the No. 47 team stands with 14 races remaining before the season finale. He said:
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“I don’t think we’re in a bad place. I think we’re in a better spot than we were last year. I think we’re not where we want to be, but we can see where we want to be, if that makes sense. We’ve done a really good job in areas, we’ve struggled in some areas.”
Focused on building their notebook week after week, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion is targeting a top-22 points finish while preparing for a critical stretch of upcoming tracks. He continued:
“You want to make the post-season and you want to win races, and that’s always in our thoughts, but realistically, I would say anywhere from 18th to 22nd in points would be a good season for us. Looking at the point standings with 14 or so races left, we really have a great shot at still being that 22nd team in points, so that’s what I’m eyeing.”
Moreover, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t shy away from addressing the upcoming package change for Daytona and how the “small race team” has to figure out everything on its own.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. opens up on navigating single-car challenges and upcoming rules changes
Operating without the multi-car data sharing enjoyed by powerhouse organizations, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. emphasized the challenge of adapting to tire compound tweaks and the upcoming superspeedway rules package change at Daytona.
In the aforementioned interview, he said:
“For us, as a small race team without the support that the other teams have, we’re working at understanding the aero changes that happened. We have an aero change coming up at Daytona that we’re going to have to figure out. Tire changes can throw us for a loop faster than anything. When you’ve got a 20-minute practice session and you’re trying to figure that stuff out on the fly, it is very difficult.”
With long-term commitment secured between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Hyak Motorsports, the No. 47 team is laying a steady foundation for the future. By focusing on note-taking, maximizing short practice sessions, and capitalizing at venues like Daytona, Stenhouse Jr. is well-positioned to achieve the team’s top-22 postseason points goal.
Edited by Sashwat Deo
