Iowa Corn 350: Stenhouse and HYAK Motorsports Struggle at Iowa Speedway
In a disappointing outing at the Iowa Corn 350 on Sunday, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 33rd, marking a stark contrast to his recent performances at Iowa Speedway, where he had previously placed no worse than fifth in his last five races.
Stenhouse, driving the No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet, faced significant challenges throughout the race, ultimately finishing three laps down. “It was tough at Iowa. We finished fifth there last year, so when you come back with expectations and then that doesn’t happen, it’s frustrating,” Stenhouse remarked, acknowledging the struggles of being a single-car team.
Crew chief Mike Kelley and the team will conduct a thorough analysis back at the shop to identify the issues leading to the poor performance. Following a promising sixth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28, Stenhouse has now struggled to find form, finishing outside the top 20 in his last five Cup starts.
"This year, I feel like we are still executing at a high level," Stenhouse stated, despite the recent setbacks. He highlighted that the team’s processes in race calls and pit stops have been solid, yet they are battling a lack of speed in the car. “If we can keep that consistent and bring the level of our car up, that’s when the finishes will start piling up,” he added, emphasizing the need for speed improvements moving forward.
Stenhouse remains optimistic about upcoming road courses, reflecting on strong performances despite incidents that hampered their results. As they head to Watkins Glen this weekend, he hopes the team can build on their road course performance amid ongoing challenges on oval tracks.
