Alpha Prime Racing has made a significant change to the driver lineup. The NASCAR Xfinity Series team has released Andy Lally from his 2022 contract, per a statement issued on January 7.
“Today, at his request, Alpha Prime Racing has released driver Andy Lally from his 2022 contract,” team GM Tommy Joe Martins said in the statement. “Both Caesar [Bacarella] and I have the utmost respect for Andy as a person and a driver. While we are disappointed he won’t be driving for us, all of APR wishes him the best in his next exciting endeavor. Alpha Prime Racing will announce additional drivers to the roster in the coming weeks.”
Alpha Prime Racing originally announced on November 1, 2021, that Lally had joined the roster. The Xfinity Series team had plans for Lally to run all six road courses on the 2022 schedule — Circuit of the Americas, Portland International Raceway, Road America, Indianapolis Road Course, Watkins Glen International, and the Charlotte Roval. With his departure, Alpha Prime Racing will now have to find another driver that can step in and take control of the No. 44 for the road courses.
Lally Provided Further Information With a Statement
The New York native issued a statement of his own on January 7 and provided further information about his departure from Alpha Prime Racing. He did not reveal what all of his plans for 2022 are, but he explained why he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“I will be able to share details of my new opportunity shortly,” Lally said in his statement. “Beyond opportunities to race, I will also be working with the team in capacities beyond the cockpit, and it is an opportunity simply too good to miss. I’m extremely excited for the future.”
Lally has extensive experience across multiple series, so there are several questions about where he will compete in 2022. Will he return to NASCAR or will he take on something else like the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship or Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series once again?
The Departure Takes Place After Another Signing
44 days to @DAYTONA! You know what that means? Another announcement!
Welcome @SageKaram to Alpha Prime Racing for the 2022 season!
🔗 Full release: t.co/blokcMICr3
Alpha Prime Racing has experienced a very busy week. The team has made multiple announcements about the driver lineup, the schedule, and the entry numbers that will compete during the 2022 Xfinity Series season.
The first announcement to kick off 2022 featured the second entry. Alpha Prime Racing revealed on January 5 that the No. 45 will join the No. 44 during the year. The team then went a step further on January 6 by revealing that the No. 45 will now run full-time instead of taking on the original part-time schedule.
Along with the announcement that the No. 45 will have an expanded schedule, Alpha Prime Racing also added another driver to the lineup. The team brought on Sage Karam, a veteran IndyCar driver who made his Xfinity Series debut in 2021. Karam will make his season debut on March 19 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and will run a part-time schedule for the team.
Given Karam’s experience on street and road courses, he would actually be a solid option to replace Lally at Circuit of the Americas, Portland International Raceway, and the other road courses on the schedule. He has made several starts at a variety of road courses while competing in IndyCar, Indy Lights, and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
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Alpha Prime Racing Releases Andy Lally From His Contract