Latest news with #AlphaPrimeRacing
Forbes
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Josh Williams Set To Return To Xfinity Series Racing With Optum
Josh Williams is set to return to the Nascar Xfinity Series after parting ways with Kaulig Racing after the 21st race of the 2025 season. Williams will make his return next weekend, when the Xfinity Series competes at Daytona. Optum, an information and technology-enabled health services firm, has partnered with Williams to sponsor the No. 45 car for Alpha Prime Racing in four races. Alloy Employer Services, Williams' longtime partner, will also continue to sponsor his effort. In addition to sponsoring the No. 45 car, Optum is also partnering with Williams to sponsor his well-known hospital tour, in which he visits children's hospitals near each race track. 'It's real important for me to have companies that believe in me, my career, and my dedication to the hospital tour,' Williams said. 'Alloy Employer Services has been behind me for years and having Optum join the program is another reminder that what we're doing matters. This has been a trying time for my family, me and my fans, and the support throughout the garage and my partners has been a bright spot. I'm looking forward to representing Optum at races throughout the year as well as on the Josh Williams Hospital Tour." Williams will also return to race at the Charlotte Roval, Las Vegas and Phoenix. 'We're thrilled that Optum Health has come on board as an official sponsor of Josh Williams, in partnership with Alloy Employer Services,' Chris Estey, CMO at Alloy Employer, said. 'This exciting collaboration brings together Optum's industry-leading commitment to employee well-being and Alloy's dedication to proactive risk management, fueling Josh's drive both on the track and in promoting employee health, safety, and wellness at workplaces across America.' Williams signed with Kaulig Racing in 2024 and had high expectations with the No. 11 team. However, after more than a year and a half, both sides recognized it was not working out. Williams had six top 10s in 54 races with the team. Kaulig's entire Xfinity Series program has struggled this year compared to past results, with only 20 top 10s split between its three cars. Williams is well-liked and respected in the Nascar community as one of the few drivers who can completely work on his own racecar if needed. His old-school racer mentality has led him to have a unique presence in Nascar. Now, as Williams looks ahead, these four races will help him prepare for what's next in 2026.
New York Times
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Inside the NASCAR debut of Lavar Scott, a 21-year-old with big racing dreams
DOVER, Del. — Even though it took 55 minutes plus a lifetime to find himself behind the wheel of a NASCAR Xfinity Series car, Lavar Scott still thought he had a few more minutes to prepare. There he was at Dover Motor Speedway, the 'Monster Mile' concrete track 55 minutes south of his New Jersey home, strapped into Alpha Prime Racing's No. 45 car and getting ready to qualify for Saturday's race in the second tier of NASCAR's professional levels. Advertisement Scott was in the qualifying line and supposed to roll out sixth, but one car in front of him didn't show up due to damage in practice. Then, two others in the line were unable to make a lap due to mechanical problems. Suddenly, a NASCAR official pointed at Scott's car. He was next. Time to go. Now. 'Qualifying is one of the hardest things we do as race car drivers, and there's a routine to it,' said Scott's car owner, Tommy Joe Martins. 'It's no different than a golfer right before he hits a shot or a batter before he steps into the batter's box. 'Except this time, it was a scramble drill. They're like, 'You're going out right now,' and suddenly he's firing off to go make the race. It's one of those things that unless you've done it, nobody else can understand how hard that is.' But Scott didn't have time to think. His team put the window net up. He started the engine, and he hit the gas to try and make the best lap of his life. The 21-year-old's entire racing career had built to this moment: a chance to race in one of NASCAR's national series. But only if he qualified into the race first. In some ways, Scott seemed destined to race NASCAR at Dover. Just across the river from Wilmington, on the other side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Scott's Auto repair shop founded by his grandfather has been a mainstay in Carneys Point, N.J., since 1978. The extended Scott family has all been around the business at one point or another, and the interest in cars led to an interest in racing for many of them. Lavar's mother competed in regional drag racing events. His grandfather and brother raced micro sprints. But Lavar has been the one closest to turning a passion for racing into a potential career. As a Black driver with a dirt racing background, he applied for NASCAR's Drive for Diversity development program and was accepted on the second try as a 16-year-old. Advertisement He and his grandmother relocated to Charlotte, N.C., so he could race pavement Late Models, but his family was so unsure whether he'd stick that they got him a camper rather than risk signing an apartment lease and breaking it after a few months. They parked it in a campground on the property of Charlotte Motor Speedway, a small and temporary home for a teenager with big dreams. After a year, Scott's grandmother returned to New Jersey and left him to live alone in the camper as a 17-year-old who would ride his bicycle to the Rev Racing shop on the other side of the racetrack property each day. 'I hated being in the camper by myself, so I just tried to spend as much time as I could in the shop,' he said. 'It was definitely lonely, but I wanted to do whatever it took to give myself an opportunity.' Scott eventually graduated from driving Late Models for Rev Racing to racing the team's cars in the ARCA Series, which is essentially NASCAR's fourth-tier circuit. He is still full-time in that series (currently third in the season standings after finishing second last year), but an opportunity to make his Xfinity Series debut at his home track arose when Alpha Prime offered him the No. 45 car for a weekend. Martins, a 38-year-old Mississippi native and former full-time Xfinity Series driver, had met Scott through Rajah Caruth, another diversity program graduate who raced for Alpha Prime. Caruth, who calls Scott 'lil bro' and has served as a mentor for the younger driver, shares similar personality traits and a background in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program (which announced earlier this year it is changing the name to simply 'Driver Development' and dropping the 'diversity' label). 'Raj was extremely detailed and prepared and a hard worker and in shape, so you start checking all the boxes,' Martins said. 'With Lavar, it's the same thing: Very humble, really nice kid, good family, really cares, cherishes the opportunity. Advertisement 'We're going through a really tough time in the country when it comes to pushback on diversity and inclusion programs, so these kids who have these opportunities have to be Teflon. They can't show up and mail it in; they have to be the most prepared guys out there.' That helped give Martins more confidence to give Scott a chance, because the team was putting the newcomer in a challenging position: Having to qualify the car into the field instead of driving one of the 'locked-in' entries who show up without fear of failing to make the race. Scott is the type of driver who likes to arrive at his car for practice and qualifying in plenty of time, preferring to get his mind right rather than try to rush anything. And that was the case at Dover, when he walked to his car for practice in a fresh white firesuit, chatted with family members, and took a couple pictures with fans before climbing in for his first-ever laps in an Xfinity Series car. Then, moments later, he posted the third-fastest speed of anyone in practice — an eye-opener to be sure, particularly in an Alpha Prime car. Martins' team is known for punching above its weight and scraping together solid finishes despite being at a deficit for resources compared to the competition. So when Scott was third on the charts, pacing ahead of many more experienced drivers, it was a terrific start. But it was only that; practice laps guarantee nothing for qualifying, and Scott would soon be headed home if he didn't put together a perfect lap in the time trials. The nearly 100 family and friends who bought tickets for the race might as well turn around and head back to New Jersey, too. The pressure was on, although Scott didn't visibly show it. 'Raj has been racing his entire life with a ton of people looking at him because he's usually the only Black driver in the field, and Lavar has been going through the same stuff,' Martins said. 'So the pressure he felt was pressure he primarily put on himself — not from the external pressure of everyone looking at him and the media and all that. He's already used to that.' But Scott wasn't used to the hectic pace of getting ready when three cars pulled out of lin in front of him. He planned to 'get in early, take my time, sit there, think and breathe — especially for one of the biggest moments of my career.' Except suddenly, that luxury was gone. 'It wasn't the best circumstances,' he said. 'But as an athlete, I train for pressure situations. You just hope you go do the job.' Advertisement Scott's No. 45 rolled off pit road and looked smooth and fast around the concrete surface. When he came across the finish line, the scoring monitor popped with an attention-getting number: 24.192 seconds, which was faster than both of his Alpha Prime teammates, plus three cars from the well-funded Kaulig Racing team and two-time defending Dover race winner Ryan Truex. It was enough to put him in the 22nd starting spot out of 38 cars, and an emotional Scott wiped tears away as he celebrated making the race with his supporters. 'This is literally the biggest day of his entire life, and we put him in a spot where he was a go-or-go-home driver,' Martins said. 'Not only did he make it, he freaking crushed it.' Caruth, who also made a spot start in the Xfinity race, barely blinked an eye at seeing Scott perform under pressure and make it into the field. 'He's a very cerebral guy, he does the work, he shows up and has been waiting on a shot,' Caruth said. 'He did it with qualifying in and making the most of what that car has got. So I'm super proud of him, and I'm not surprised at all at how he's done this weekend. He's got what it takes.' Martins viewed the race itself as a bonus ('He's already done the hardest part of this whole weekend'), but Scott had bigger ambitions. Scott said he wanted to 'get a top-25, with a top-20 as a great day' — which is harder than it sounds. Alpha Prime's average finish as an organization across 342 starts is 23.6, and that's not for a rookie driving his first-ever race in the series. 'I know he wants to come out here and make a splash, but no offense: I'm not going to put a number on it,' Martins said. 'It literally does not matter if you finish 33rd or 23rd. The goal for him is to just finish the race and learn over the course of time. He needs to shift from offense to defense and just survive the race.' Martins leaned forward to emphasize a point. 'Like, think about this: These are going to be the first live pit stops he's ever done,' Martins said. 'They don't do hot pit stops in ARCA. He's done pit stop practice, but Dover is a tight pit road. He's going to blow through his pit stall and have to get pushed back — all that kind of stuff.' Advertisement Sure enough, after Scott finished 24th in Stage 1 and was coming in for his first-ever pit stop, he locked up the brakes and got too close to the pit wall. He fell to 32nd and ended up finishing 28th in a rain-shortened race — on the lead lap and with an unscathed car, but kicking himself for the one big mistake he made. 'I'm happy, but it's like, 'What could have been?'' Scott said afterward. 'I could have had that top-20 or top-25, but I messed up that pit stop really bad and lost everything there. But that's why we get experience, and that's why it was my debut, to hopefully get the mistakes out of the way early.' Martins has already decided to give Scott another shot in the team's car later this year, at World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis. In the meantime, Scott plans to keep working on finding sponsorship — he has no ride for next season at the moment — and improving his performance in ARCA, where he'll race again this weekend in Indianapolis. 'Going from ARCA to Xfinity isn't one step up, it's like 20 steps up,' Martins said. 'He came here and controlled his emotions, was prepared, executed a perfect practice and outstanding qualifying run to get himself in the show. 'By going through that, his confidence in ARCA is going to be way up. Just watch him now for the rest of the year.'
NBC Sports
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
NASCAR Xfinity Rockingham results: Jesse Love wins in overtime
Jesse Love went from third to first on the overtime restart to win Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity race at Rockingham Speedway, the first Xfinity race at the historic track since 2004. Love led 53 laps and stretched his fuel over the final 96 laps to collect his second win of the season and third career Xfinity win. He did so before a sellout crowd at Rockingham. MORE: Rockingham results Sammy Smith, who lost the lead to Love on the overtime restart, finished a season-best second. Smith collected the $100,000 bonus for winning the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash. It was his first Dash 4 Cash bonus. Parker Retzlaff overcame a flat tire with about 100 laps to go to finish third, tying his career-best Xfinity result. Harrison Burton placed fourth, and Brennan Poole completed the top five. Alpha Prime Racing had two cars finish in the top five for the first time with Retzlaff and Poole. Kasey Kahne, making his first NASCAR start since 2018, finished 15th after he was collected in two separate incidents. Saturday's race was slowed by 14 cautions for 83 laps and two red flags in the 256-lap race. Katherine Legge failed to qualify for the race but replaced JJ Yeley in a car for Joey Gase Motorsports. She finished last in the 38-car field after a crash. William Sawalich made contact with Legge's car as she was being lapped. The contact spun Legge's car into the path of Kahne's car, causing damage to the right front of Kahne's vehicle. Stage 1 win: Nick Sanchez Stage 2 win: Dean Thompson Next: The series races at 4 p.m. ET Saturday, April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway on the CW Network.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kyle Larson scores dominant Xfinity Series win at Bristol
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson dominated the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading 276 of 300 laps on the way to Victory Lane at the high-banked Tennessee short track. Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones rounded out the top five. Advertisement Jesse Love, Ryan Sieg, Corey Heim, Christian Eckes and Dean Thompson completed the top 10. RELATED: Unofficial race results | At-track photos: Bristol Allgaier ended up taking the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus with ease as Austin Hill, his closest competitor, finished 24th and two laps off the pace. On Lap 76, two Dash 4 Cash drivers were taken out of contention when Thompson got into the rear of Sheldon Creed, sending the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Ford spinning. Then, Alpha Prime Racing's Brennan Poole slammed hard into Creed head-on and destroyed both of their cars. Poole and Creed finished 36th and 37th, respectively. Advertisement MORE: Dash 4 hub page The final Dash 4 Cash race will take place Saturday, April 19 at Rockingham Speedway in the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black's Tire (4 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kvapil, Allgaier, Smith and Jones are eligible for the last bonus of the 2025 season. This story will be updated.
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
NASCAR entry list for Xfinity Series race at Atlanta in February 2025
NASCAR entry list for Xfinity Series race at Atlanta in February 2025 The NASCAR Xfinity Series is ready to take on the 2025 Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the entry list has been revealed. NASCAR released the Ambetter Health 400 entry list, Xfinity Series entry list, and Truck Series entry list for Atlanta on Monday afternoon. Below, we reveal the complete entry list and the notable drivers included. For the 2025 Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250, there will be 38 entries, which means zero drivers will miss the show. Among the notable entries are Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Mason Massey (Alpha Prime Racing). Also, Josh Bilicki will return to the No. 91 car for a second straight weekend with DGM Racing. Shop Atlanta NASCAR tickets The entire NASCAR entry list for the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta can be seen below. NASCAR Xfinity Series entry list, 2025 Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 at Atlanta No. 00 Sheldon Creed No. 1 Carson Kvapil No. 2 Jesse Love No. 4 Parker Retzlaff No. 5 Kris Wright No. 07 Nick Leitz No. 7 Justin Allgaier No. 8 Sammy Smith No. 10 Daniel Dye No. 11 Josh Williams No. 14 Garrett Smithley No. 16 Christian Eckes No. 18 William Sawalich No. 19 Aric Almirola No. 20 Brandon Jones No. 21 Austin Hill No. 25 Harrison Burton No. 26 Dean Thompson No. 27 Jeb Burton No. 28 Kyle Sieg No. 31 Blaine Perkins No. 35 Joey Gase No. 39 Ryan Sieg No. 41 Sam Mayer No. 42 Anthony Alfredo No. 44 Brennan Poole No. 45 Mason Massey No. 48 Nick Sanchez No. 51 Jeremy Clements No. 53 Mason Maggio No. 54 Taylor Gray No. 70 Leland Honeyman No. 71 Ryan Ellis No. 74 Carson Ware No. 88 Connor Zilisch No. 91 Josh Bilicki No. 92 C.J. McLaughlin No. 99 Matt DiBenedetto More: NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule: Start times, TV networks in 2025 Shop Atlanta NASCAR tickets Every recommendation is independently chosen by our editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
