HYAK Motorsports Had Opportunity to Continue with Kroger; Wanted Fresh Start
When Kroger was announced as a new primary sponsorship partner for the 2025 season for RFK Racing, many expected that it was Kroger that chose to part ways with the team formerly known as JTG Daugherty Racing. In the virtual press conference with RFK Racing, a representative from Kroger Racing stated that the brand moved to RFK Racing in an effort to partner with multiple drivers, and cars, and to compete for wins more regularly in 2025.
However, in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday, Brad Daugherty, a co-owner of the newly rebranded HYAK Motorsports team fought back against the words from Kroger and dispelled the internet rumors that Kroger walked away from his race team.
🗣️ @HYAKMotorsports Co-Owner @BradDaugherty43 talks about the organization's rebrand & the departure of Kroger from the team.
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 26, 2024
💭"We're hoping at the end of the day, we're stronger for it and a better business that can [...] be viable for the next two decades in the sport." pic.twitter.com/g7gM6RKXWz
"That's not all true," Daugherty explained of the rumor that Kroger chose to leave the team. "We had the opportunity to rekindle that partnership, but we divided our company in a way and separated our company in a way, that we wanted a fresh start over on the HYAK side."
Daugherty says that a path existed for Kroger to return to the No. 47 team in 2025, but that the HYAK Motorsports team opted to pursue other options.
"It doesn't seem, if you look at it from the outside, not like it's the wisest thing to walk away from that opportunity. But we felt over on our side, and what we're trying to accomplish is going in a different direction will give us the opportunity to branch out and participate with different vendors, who may potentially want to be in the sport," Daugherty continued. "But it was not a decision that was handed down to us that, 'we're not going to partner with you anymore.' We were actually offered that partnership, and we decided to go in a different direction."
HYAK Motorsports, formerly known as JTG Daugherty Racing, has been a staple in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time since the 2009 season. The team captured its first victory in 2014 with AJ Allmendinger behind the wheel of the No. 47 entry in a thrilling dash to the finish at Watkins Glen International.
The team has scored a win in each of the last two seasons with driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
In 2023, the No. 47 team won the biggest race in NASCAR -- the Daytona 500 -- to lock a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. This past season, Stenhouse failed to make the Playoffs, but did snatch a win at Talladega Superspeedway in the fall.
With a fresh start in 2025, HYAK Motorsports, with has Gordon Smith as a majority owner along with co-owners Daugherty, Ernie Cope, and Mark Hughes, will look to make a big impact in its transitional season.
Heading into 2025, the organization has three wins, 27 top-five finishes, and 89 top-10s in 756 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.