'Small but dedicated': Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s right-hand man delivers his verdict after impressive finish for Hyak Motorsports 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s crew chief Mike Kelley applauded the Hyak Motorsports No. 47 team after its top-five finish at Atlanta last weekend.

Stenhouse Jr. pulled off a comeback after the season-opening NASCAR Cup race in Daytona and finished fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He started in 34th place and moved through the field to secure a strong result for the team, which rebranded from JTG Daugherty Racing this season. The 37-year-old, in his 13th full-time season, moved to Hyak Motorsports in 2020.

Kelley shared his verdict for the team, which only fields one entry in the Cup Series, and wrote:

"Excited to get @HYAKMotorsports its first top 5 in only its second race, looking forward to more firsts this season. Small but dedicated, We understand the assignment!"

Stenhouse Jr. had an average running position of 18.42 and never led the race. He is currently in the top 10 in the Cup Series standings for 2025.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shares thoughts on Daytona crash with Joey Logano

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished in 18th position at the Daytona 500 but was involved in a massive crash 15 laps away from the finish line.

On lap 186, Joey Logano attempted to overtake Stenhouse Jr. and caused the crash that knocked out six other drivers including Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Noah Gragson, Cole Custer, and Todd Gilliland. After the Daytona 500, people argued about who caused the crash, and Stenhouse Jr. shared his perspective during "Trackside Live" with Kenny Wallace.

"I didn't make a block and then all of a sudden, I got hung three wide in the middle and I ended up 28th and then I got in the next wreck that happened. So I told myself if I get up towards the front within 15 to go, I was gonna make some blocks to make sure I kept myself in that position to have a shot to win," Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said.

"When I drifted high, I was looking to see where the O1 was. He thought I was going back to the top, so he throttled up, shot the middle. I squeezed him, and then, yeah, I think he went down, and he ended up getting into Kyle, got back into me. So we just, I mean, you make decisions so fast, and we both, I felt like, just made a wrong decision at the same time, which resulted in a massive crash," he added.

Stenhouse Jr. finished the previous Cup season in 25th rank with one win at Talladega. He has collected four wins and 61 top-10 finishes in the series since his debut.