Alpha Prime Racing just added a new driver to the lineup. Stefan Parsons, who started the season with BJ McLeod Motorsports, will move to APR for a packed schedule of races.
APR issued a press release on April 27 and announced the news. The team said that Parsons will make his debut at Texas Motor Speedway on May 21. He will then suit up for a majority of the remainder of the Xfinity Series season. Though APR did not specify the exact number of races.
Welcome, @StefanParsons_ to the Alpha Prime Racing driver lineup!
Stefan will make his debut for the team at @TXMotorSpeedway on May 21st.
More info: t.co/auRh2xrF0Q
Parsons will continue to work with primary partner Sokal Digital for a large portion of his altered schedule. He will also join forces with other partners, which APR will announce at a later date.
“We’re pleased to have Stefan join our team,” said APR General Manager Tommy Joe Martins in a press release. “He has shown exceptional speed this season and we’re so excited to have him drive for us. This is the most competitive season we’ve seen in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in many years and it’s more important than ever to have a fast driver in the seat. I look forward to the future of Alpha Prime Racing with young talent like Stefan.”
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Parson’s Role Drastically Changed Ahead of Talladega
GettyStefan Parsons lost a full-time seat before the trip to Talladega.
Parsons, the son of FOX Sports broadcaster Phil Parsons, started the Xfinity Series season with a very different role. He was set to run full-time in the No. 99 BJ McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro with Sokal Digital as his primary partner.
Parsons did not qualify for the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, but he started every other race on the schedule through Martinsville Speedway on April 8. He posted three top-25 finishes, including a pair of 21st-place runs at Phoenix Raceway and Circuit of the Americas.
The situation changed ahead of the trip to Talladega Superspeedway. The Xfinity Series team announced on April 19 that it would scale back to only two full-time entries. The No. 78 and the No. 5 would both run full-time while Parsons’ No. 99 would only run in a handful of select races.
Parsons released a statement on April 19 and expressed disappointment. Though he also teased other announcements by saying that he had received an offer that could “potentially be highly beneficial to my career long term.” Nearly 10 days later, he and APR revealed the news.
“Joining a new, exciting organization like Alpha Prime Racing gives me a lot to look forward to,” Parsons added in the APR press release. “With the continued support of Sokal and the opportunity at Alpha Prime Racing, I think we will turn some heads. I still have some unfinished business in the No. 99 Chevrolet for select races throughout the season and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I was given to start my career with that group. This new chapter with Alpha Prime Racing is going to be a great one too.”
Another Pair of Drivers Will Take Center Stage at Dover Motor Speedway
🎨 Another week, another set of some fresh paint for @rajahcaruth_ and @ryanellisracing!
While Parsons is now the newest member of the team, he will not make his debut until late in May. Instead, another pair of drivers will suit up for the next race on the schedule, which takes place at Dover Motor Speedway on April 30.
ARCA Menards Series regular Rajah Caruth will make his second Xfinity Series start of the year during the trip to the Monster Mile. He will drive the No. 44, and he will pull double-duty by also competing in the ARCA Menards Series East Series race on April 29.
Ryan Ellis, for comparison, will make his fourth start of the year at Dover Motor Speedway. He also suited up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway and posted a career-best 13th-place finish in Nevada. His most recent start came to an early end after falling victim to NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy.
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Alpha Prime Racing Adds New Driver for Packed Schedule