The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series has completed nine of its 33 races on the 2026 calendar, already more than one-third of the regular season. And out of the 12 drivers who are currently projected to qualify for the postseason Chase, at least one of them can be considered a surprise.
That would be Parker Retzlaff, who is ninth in points and 55 points above the postseason cut line with four top 10 finishes, including three in the four most recent races. In three previous full seasons, the Wisconsin native has never finished better than 16th in points. That already looks almost certain to change.
Retzlaff, in his first season with Viking Motorsports, has been arguably the most improved driver this year in any of NASCAR's top three series. It's time we start paying attention.
Parker Retzlaff and Viking Motorsports are surprising everybody, and it feels sustainable
The flashes of potential have always been there for Retzlaff, who scored a 10th place finish in only his second career start back at Richmond Raceway in 2022. He had seven top 10 finishes in his first full season in 2023 with Jordan Anderson Racing, and he won two poles the following year.
The 2025 season was a struggle for Retzlaff with Alpha Prime Racing, but he did score a career-best runner-up finish at Rockingham Speedway, which he has since tied this year at EchoPark Speedway. He had struggled with consistently stringing results together, but that was more of a product of bad luck and unreliable equipment than his own mistakes.
It didn't seem like that would change for Retzlaff this year, after moving to another mid-pack organization in Viking. The young team fielded one car in 2025 for Matt DiBenedetto, who was 22nd in points prior to his abrupt departure with three races remaining on the schedule.
Clearly though, Viking has taken a major step forward, despite the fact that their resources have been spread between multiple cars, with Anthony Alfredo joining Retzlaff. Alfredo's No. 96 Chevrolet has also shown impressive speed at times, most notably qualifying fourth and finishing 10th at Phoenix Raceway.
But it's the driver of the No. 99 Chevrolet who has been the story of the early part of the season. Some of the drivers behind him in points include William Sawalich, Taylor Gray, Rajah Caruth, and Sam Mayer, all driving for powerhouse Cup Series-affiliated teams. At this rate, it seems like a legitimate possibility that he could stay ahead of them all season.
Retzlaff has always flown under the radar as a driver who outperforms the quality of his opportunities. But this year, he is making a case that he can no longer be ignored. Fans are starting to take notice, and teams should be, too.
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