JTG Daugherty Rebrands to Hyak Motorsports

This last week, news broke that JTG Daugherty Racing has rebranded to Hyak Motorsports. This change involves a shift in team ownership, with Tad and Jodi Geschickter stepping away and Gordon Smith assuming primary ownership. Along with Gordon, Mark Hughes, founder of Herbalife, and Ernie Cope, will join the team's ownership, and Brad Daugherty will remain a minority owner. 

Tad and Jodi Geschickter, founders of JTG Daugherty Racing, have divested their ownership in the racing team. They are no longer involved with Hyak Motorsports but have shifted their focus to their marketing firm, Brand Activation Maximizer (BAM). BAM handles the marketing operations for Kroger, a major sponsor that moved from JTG Daugherty to RFK Racing shortly after the 2024 NASCAR season concluded.

Tad was instrumental in securing sponsorships and managing business aspects of the team, while Jodi was involved in the operational side of things. Their combined efforts helped the team to grow and compete at higher levels within NASCAR.

With the departure of the two, Gordon Smith will now assume operational control of the team and is now the principal owner of Hyak Motorsports. Smith is the Chairman of the Board (COB) and President of Hyak Maritime, a marine transportation company he founded. Hyak Maritime specializes in constructing and chartering vessels to operating companies, focusing on providing tailored vessel solutions for clients. The name "Hyak" for the racing team reflects Smith's connection to his maritime business, as "Hyak" means "fast" in Chinook Jargon, aligning with the themes of speed and efficiency in both his businesses.

Ricky Stenhouse signed a multi-year deal with JTG Daugherty Racing in May of this year, so we can expect him to be Hyak Motorsport's flagship driver for at least the next two years. There are currently no reports of Hyak adding another driver to their lineup, and they will continue to be a one-car team. However, fans of the team strongly advocate for adding a driver, even if the ride isn't a chartered team. 

Tad and Jodi stepping away and bringing Kroger to RFK isn't a move that I expected, but I had not been much of a fan of Brad Keselowski during the 2023 season. Over the 2024 season, I developed more of a neutral stance toward Keselowski. Now that the Geschickters have abandoned Stenhouse and the team for RFK, my hatred for Keselowski has been renewed, adding to the excitement for the 2025 season. I hate it for Stenhouse, but I love it because it gives me someone to root against. 

What sucks about this deal is I like Ryan Preece, and Chris Buescher is my favorite Ford driver, so it's hard for me to pull against these guys. I'm not going to like seeing three Kroger cars speeding around the track not on the #47 car. 

As Hyak Motorsports emerges into the Cup Series, Gordon Smith, Ricky Stenhouse, and the team will seek to build a new identity with new sponsors and ownership structure. I'm optimistic for the #47 crew, as Gordon Smith appears to have a fresh vision for the team to make them more competitive and finish in victory lane more often. 2025 will be an exciting time for Stenhouse and Hyak fans!