What’s Happening?

Several NASCAR fans driving by JTG-Daugherty Racing noticed that the team has officially rebranded its shop. This change, while not exactly what some expected, seemed inevitable. Here’s what you need to know.

• Several posts on X show that the former JTG-Daugherty Racing shop in Harrisburg, North Carolina, is now branded HYAK Racing. Most insiders expected the team to rebrand after a season of changes with ownership and sponsorship.
• HYAK seems to refer to HYAK Maritime. The HYAK Motorsports logo has the same typeface as the HYAK Maritime logo. HYAK Maritime president Gordon Smith is a longtime co-owner of JTG-Daugherty Racing, and the team has recently listed him as the owner in certain press releases.
• The rumors that Smith would take over the majority of ownership began earlier this season. These rumors suggested that owners Tad and Jodi Geschickter would divest their ownership following this season. Furthermore, the team would lose longtime sponsor Kroger.
• The Geschickters have connections to Kroger through their company, Brand Activation Maximizer. Rumors that Kroger would leave have been around for the majority of the season, leaving the team‘s future in doubt. However, Smith has been reassuring of the team’s future. Notably, it is unknown what the future of fellow co-owner and NBA legend Brad Daugherty will be with the team.
• On May 2, the team confirmed its future beyond 2025. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. announced that he had re-signed with the team. On the same day that fans noticed this rebrand, Kroger announced its new sponsorship with RFK Racing—seemingly ending one of NASCAR’s best underdogs, as fans know it, in JTG-Daugthery Racing.

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