Ryan Ellis seeking competitive success with DGM Racing, made a critical decision last summer that could shape his future in NASCAR. With a two-year contract extension in hand from Alpha Prime Racing, where he had been the lead driver since 2022, Ellis weighed his options amid new opportunities, feeling the time had come for a pivotal change in his racing journey. Motorsports Management International’s Ross Chastain, who also owned a stake in DGM Racing and had experienced notable achievements with the team, gave Ellis a direct message about his prospects ahead.
Ellis recounted, encouraged by Chastain’s advice, that moving to DGM Racing offered a fresh direction after years of building sponsor rapport and navigating various roles within the racing landscape, including time as Go Fas Racing’s public relations and marketing director. During his tenure with Alpha Prime Racing, Ellis rediscovered his passion for the sport, but a growing sense of needing more from his competitive side led him to consider a new environment even though he initially had no contacts at DGM.
Rationale for leaving Alpha Prime Racing
As frustrations accumulated through minor setbacks toward the end of last season, Ellis felt the structure within Alpha Prime was stifling his personal growth both on and off the track. The team‘s car lineup, especially among the 43, 44, and 45 entries, seemed to operate with different standards and expectations. His rapport with Alpha Prime’s co-owner Tommy Joe Martins and teammate Brennan was strong, yet the optics and performance comparisons suggested it was time to look beyond familiar support and challenge himself elsewhere.
Looking at the middle to back half of last year, just getting frustrated with little things along the way,” Ellis told NASCAR.com of why he wanted change. “I know you always compare yourself to your teammates, and that’s the only real way to figure out what a driver is doing or how good a driver is. In a very respectful way, because I love Tommy [Joe Martins, Alpha Prime’s co-owner] and I love Alpha Prime, but I felt like the [No.] 44 was on a much different deal than the 43, and the 43 was a notch above the 45. I love Brennan and everyone at that team — my crew was awesome — but I wanted to make sure that I positioned myself for the optics to look good.
DGM Racing’s record of unexpected achievements
DGM Racing has a reputation for extracting strong performances from its drivers, with Josh Williams notching a team-best six top-10 finishes during the 2020 season and Alex Labbe consistently threatening on road courses. Last year, Kyle Weatherman also contributed with two top-10 results, further confirming the team’s potential to punch above its weight in the Xfinity Series.
It became clear to Ellis—who, after 175 NASCAR starts, still seeks his first top-10 finish—that surrounding himself with a team like DGM and competing under owner and crew chief Mario Gosselin could ignite the competitive edge he has been searching for. Gosselin is known for his racing spirit and drive to exceed expectations, fueling a culture where maximizing performance is always the main objective.
That’s why I do this,” Gosselin said. “I don’t try to survive, go home and go to the next one — we want to go race. We can’t afford to tear stuff up every week, but I’ve won races — not necessarily in Xfinity — and championships. That competitiveness, I still have it. Just because I’m not driving, we’re not going out there to try to complete all the laps and come home with a participation award.
Contrasting team philosophies and their impact on Ellis
Joining forces with Gosselin provided Ellis a new form of autonomy, a stark contrast to his previous experiences where he felt compelled to approach each race with an owner’s mindset, always mindful of strategies and cautious execution. The culture at DGM fosters racing with intent, as Gosselin’s approach is centered around competing aggressively rather than merely finishing races. This mentality has helped make Ellis’s adjustment far smoother, instilling a renewed sense of motivation and enjoyment in his race weekends.
I feel like I’ve always had the owner hat on being a small-team guy my whole life, even racing legends cars and late models,” Ellis said. “When Tommy would pull the reins back and give us a speech or strategy of hanging back, it would double or triple down what I was thinking. At Daytona, Mario was like, ‘We’re here to [expletive] race.’ I had never been told that before. I’ve realized it has made my mindset going into race weekends so much easier because we’re racing cars.
Ellis’s transformation from side hustle racer to full-time competitor
The current reality is striking for the Virginia native, given that just four years ago, he was juggling multiple jobs outside racing and only treating driving as a secondary pursuit. Now, having secured a full-time spot in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, Ellis reflects on how his contentment and drive have converged, both professionally and personally. He expresses gratitude for the support system that has enabled him to provide for his family and ensure a promising future for his daughters, even as the hunger for competitive results remains.
It feels fulfilling to be a race car driver. I don’t want to lose that ever again because I felt like that in 2016. It wasn’t dark years, but I didn’t feel like I had a purpose in life other than making my wife happy and my dogs happy and counting down days at that point. Now, I can’t wait for tomorrow.
Yet, the transition into a primary role within DGM Racing has presented its challenges. Through the early months of the current Xfinity Series season, Ellis holds 28th in the driver standings, with the No. 71 team giving up critical points due to late-race mishaps and technical setbacks. Still, the development of strong communication between Ellis and his team has laid a platform for future progress as they look ahead to upcoming races, including an important contest at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Adapting and growing together with DGM’s No. 71 team
Despite limited headline results so far, the chemistry among the DGM team members and Ellis has led to improved collaboration and feedback, seen as crucial for both short- and long-term advancement. Gosselin acknowledges both the positives and the need for greater raw speed in qualifying and more assertive racecraft, while also pointing out the growing depth of competition throughout the field. The No. 71 team’s resilience is reflected in its low number of DNFs over the season, demonstrating steady but unspectacular reliability as the search for breakthrough performances continues.
I think the biggest thing was he is always there at the end,” Gosselin said, with the No. 71 team having only one DNF through 12 races. “We’ve got to work on our raw speed and qualify a little bit and get him a little bit aggressive. That’s always a fine line.
I feel like if we’re not running top 20, I’m not happy. But then you finish just outside the top 20 and you look at who outran you and it’s like, ‘Damn, the competition has gotten really deep in the field.’ Top 20s are what we’re after.
Looking forward: Ellis’s ambitions and ongoing partnership with DGM Racing
Ryan Ellis is not just focused on short-term improvements—he is already initiating plans for the 2026 season, with many sponsors expressing their support for his continued partnership with DGM Racing. This long-term outlook signals a deepening commitment between Ellis and the organization, underscoring both his belief in the team‘s potential and his personal goal to finally achieve his first career top-10 result in the Xfinity Series. The collaborative environment at DGM, the mentorship from Mario Gosselin, and a shared competitive fire provide a foundation from which both Ellis and DGM aim to transform consistent participation into tangible competitive success. As the team approaches crucial races, including the event at Charlotte, all attention turns to whether Ellis can convert his passion and preparation into the breakthrough performance he has long pursued.
