With the addition of new partner Caesar Bacarella, Martins Motorsports became Alpha Prime Racing ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series (now O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) season, and they continued their partnership with Chevrolet.
The team currently run the No. 44 Chevrolet for rookie Lavar Scott and the No. 45 Chevrolet for Brennan Poole. Scott is 26th in the championship standings with a top finish of 15th place at Rockingham Speedway, while the veteran Poole is 17th with a top finish of seventh at Daytona International Speedway.
But the team have announced that they plan to switch to Ford for the 2027 season, and that transition is set to begin this season as they phase in Ford equipment for select races on this year's postseason schedule. Eight races remain on the 2026 calendar.
New badge. Same goal. 🏆
— Alpha Prime Racing (@TeamAlphaPrime) September 5, 2026
Alpha Prime Racing will race the Ford Mustang full time beginning with the 2027 season.
We'll begin to phase in Ford equipment for select races to round out the 2026 season. #NASCAR | @NASCAROReillyAP pic.twitter.com/tNcAYaawXw
Alpha Prime announcement brings Ford back to NASCAR O'Reilly Series
The team did run a Ford, in partnership with Joey Gase Motorsports, in the 2025 season finale at Phoenix Raceway for Glen Reed. Ryan Ellis also drove a Ford at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023.
The announcement officially brings Ford back to the O'Reilly Series full-time after the 2026 season ended an 1,116-race streak that had dated back to the start of the 1992 season. The May race at Texas Motor Speedway was the first O'Reilly Series race without a Ford on the entry list since the October 1991 season finale at Martinsville Speedway.
To begin the 2026 season, both AM Racing and Hettinger Racing fielded Ford entries. But AM Racing shut down in mid-May for good, and Hettinger Racing hasn't competed since late April at Talladega Superspeedway.
There have been select appearances from Ford since May, but not on a regular basis, so the return of the Blue Oval full-time is welcome news for the O'Reilly Series and for Alpha Prime Racing as their aim to take a step forward in performance.
Since becoming Alpha Prime Racing, the team's top finish is Parker Retzlaff's runner-up finish at Rockingham in 2025. Their top championship effort is Poole's 16th place finish in 2024.
This weekend's playoff race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway is set to see Alpha Prime Racing begin that transition to Ford, with Scott set to be in the No. 44 Mustang and Poole set to be in the No. 45 Mustang for Saturday's Nu Way 225. Live coverage is set to be provided by the CW Network beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!
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