Alpha Prime Racing co-owner Tommy Joe Martins has provided a big update about the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. He has revealed to Michael Carey of TobyChristie.com that the team will field two cars during select events.
Martins explained during his sitdown with Carey that he continues to work on the sponsor schedule and how everything will work out during the 2022 season. He said that he is “negotiating traffic” to make sure that everyone is happy in their markets. A key part is making sure that they get specific races to showcase their brands. His current estimate is that the team will field two cars at six to eight races.
“We are at least planning on running two cars for some of the schedule,” Martins told Carey during the exclusive interview. “How many races that is, I’m not sure. As of right now, the [superspeedways] at Daytona and Talladega, we are planning on running two cars. How the rest of it shapes up is dependent on those other two things. What races does everyone need from a sponsorship standpoint, how do we line that up.”
Alpha Prime Racing Could Field 2 Cars at 2 Styles of Tracks
Martins has previously provided schedule updates for his team. He confirmed that ARCA Menards Series driver Rajah Caruth will run races at Martinsville Speedway, Dover International Speedway, and Richmond Raceway while preparing for a full-time Xfinity Series run in 2023. He may take on others based on the available sponsorship.
Additionally, Alpha Prime Racing announced on November 1 that veteran driver Andy Lally will likely run all six road course races during the 2022 season. Barring any unforeseen changes, he will control the No. 44 Chevrolet at Circuit of the Americas, Portland International Raceway, Road America, Indianapolis Road Course, Watkins Glen International, and the Charlotte Roval. Though Martins told Carey that the team could potentially field two cars at some of the road course events.
Based on his history in NASCAR, co-owner Caesar Bacarella could take over as one of the drivers for superspeedway races. He has eight starts at Daytona International Speedway, four at Talladega Superspeedway, and one at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during his part-time career. He also has two others at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile track known for high speed.
2 Other Drivers Will Remain Wild Cards Heading Toward 2022
Martins has provided some details about the upcoming schedule, but he will not unveil the rest until he has finalized the sponsor arrangements. For now, he will remain one of the wild cards ahead of the 2022 season.
Martins said during the Alpha Prime Racing unveiling that he planned to run 10-15 Xfinity Series races in 2022. This number could potentially change based on a variety of factors. FOr example, sponsorship or whether a driver’s skill set better fits certain tracks could both lead to changes.
The other wild card is Ryan Ellis, the newest addition to the team. Alpha Prime Racing announced on November 11 that the part-time NASCAR driver would join the team for 2022 and that he would make his first start on April 8 at Martinsville Speedway. Alpha Prime Racing did not provide any further details about the estimated number of starts Ellis will make or the type of tracks where he will compete.
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Alpha Prime Racing Fielding 2 Cars at Select Races