After a four-race run which included a 17th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 21st-place score at Kansas Speedway, sixth place at Talladega Superspeedway and 19th at Texas Motor Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse has guided the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Hyak Motorsports into 24th position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
Now headfirst into his 14th NASCAR Cup season, the veteran driver is as motivated and determined as ever to continue to improve overall performance and race results with the Hyak Motorsports organization.
Eleven races into the ’26 Cup season, Stenhouse and crew chief Mike Kelley plan to continue to excel and climb up from their current average finishing position of 21.7.
Coming straight off the Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, the No. 47 driver and crew chief are confident and very much looking forward to running out the scheduled 25 remaining races.
“I mean if I go back to the off week at Easter and then going to Bristol, Kansas, Talladega and Texas, I think we’re trending in the right direction,” pointed out Stenhouse, eyes now cast on this Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. “We were struggling there before the off week with just not being very good on Sunday during the race. However, I feel like we are headed in the right direction. We got some stage points and got to run up front there for a lot of that race in Texas. We had a couple things we need to clean up there with pit stops and a little bit of our strategy, but all in all, man. I was happy with Texas.
“Our goal was to get 20 points. Leaving there, we got 26 points. We got six more points than what we were looking for as our goal. I think we overachieved, but then after the race is over you can always look back and say, ‘Dang, I think we left some stuff out on the table with how good we were actually running throughout that race.’ All in all, I was satisfied with leaving Texas.”
Stenhouse is both pragmatic and enthused with the overall performance of the No. 47 race team.
“Like I said, I think since the off week, we’re trending in the right direction,” explained Stenhouse. “We were down to 32nd in points at one point going into the off week. I think we’re climbing up the point standings. We’re cutting the deficit and we’re looking at trying to get into that top 20 in points. Going into last weekend and Texas we were 22 points out of 20th place and now we’re 10 points. I like where we’re at. I like what we’re doing. We’ve just got to keep plugging away and make sure we keep getting slightly better.”
The road course at Watkins Glen Int’l is next on Stenhouse’s agenda.
“We’re taking it one race at a time,” continued Stenhouse. “This weekend is Watkins Glen. It’s a road course. We know that’s normally not our strong suit, but with different strategies and trying to plan the race a little bit different, we can get some points out of there. We can get some stage points and keep building the point totals we get per weekend. Yeah, we’re focused in on that. We’re not thinking about anything else right now. We’re really honed in on Watkins Glen.
“One week at a time. It’s a road course and totally different from Texas or Dover, where we are going to the following weekend. You can’t let yourself think too far ahead.”
Entering the marathon phase of the Cup Series schedule, Stenhouse weighed in on how it can all blend together at times.
“It does,” he said. “It can all blend together at times. I tell you what, I sometimes remember where we are at each and every week, but man, you get to this point in the season, and after about three races from here, I have no idea where we’re going.
“The tracks are all different everywhere we go. There are definitely different things that change the nuances of what you’re doing behind the wheel with the race car setup-wise. This is the point in the season where I feel like you start hitting quite a few different style of tracks. That’s what makes it tough being consistent.
“I feel like with the mile and a half race track that we had in Texas and Kansas, we have a good baseline setup for that,” Stenhouse continued. “Then you start throwing in a Watkins Glen and Nashville and Dover and things change quite a bit and can make it very difficult. And I like the mile and a half race tracks. I feel like we do a good job with the race team getting prepared cars that are competitive in speed. Those are the racetracks where you get a little bit more brave. You can stick it closer to the wall at some of those and run a little bit higher and push that groove up and kind of take some chances to make some more speed.”
And Stenhouse has held fast to self-confidence and positivity as the Cup Series season is set to reach for a higher gear.
“Yeah, I’m still positive,” offered Stenhouse. “Again, we went through a lull there where we were struggling trying to find our way on Sundays. I think the positivity we have comes from the speed that we have on Saturday’s. I know our race cars can be where we need them to be or want them to be. We have to make those right adjustments from Saturday night to Sunday. Like I said, I think we’re doing a better job of that since our off week. It keeps me going.
“And being a single car team makes it tough, but I know there are a lot of big teams that have way more employees than we have that our scratching their heads trying to figure out why we’re outrunning them,” furthered Stenhouse. “I’m happy with our little team. I’m happy with what we’re doing. I think there is still a lot left in the tank for our small team. We can continue to get more and more and better and better results out of it. I don’t think we’ve hit our ceiling yet. There is still some room for us to grow.”
A single car team that fights for its life on any given Sunday, Stenhouse is keenly aware that there are race fans and insiders that admire and look out for the No. 47 team. And Ricky Stenhouse picks up on all that.
“I definitely pick up on that,” said Stenhouse. “Especially when we go to my racetracks in the southeast. They definitely like their Mississippi drivers. Man, being at some of those racetracks we’ve been at lately, it’s felt awesome to get that support each and every weekend when you’re going out and doing autograph sessions and things like that.”