Alpha Prime Racing Overview
Alpha Prime Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The organization is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, and is co-owned by Craig Martins, Tommy Joe Martins and Caesar Bacarella. The team fields multiple full-time and part-time entries across Xfinity car numbers and entered national touring competition under the Martins Motorsports banner before rebranding to Alpha Prime Racing in 2022.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The team traces its roots to a family-run operation launched in 2009. Founded by Craig Martins, the organization built its identity as a small independent effort centered on the Martins family and on Tommy Joe Martins as a driver and leader within the operation.
Over time the team expanded its management structure to include additional co-ownership and front-office roles. Tommy Joe Martins is listed as the team president, and the organization established its base in the Mooresville, North Carolina area to operate closer to the sport’s major suppliers and talent pool.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
Alpha Prime Racing’s early growth followed a stepwise progression through American stock-car feeder series into NASCAR national touring divisions. The operation entered the Camping World Truck Series in 2009, ran ARCA Racing Series events beginning in 2010, and made its NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2014. Those early years focused on building equipment and personnel while operating as an underdog independent team.
The organization weathered periods of inactivity and restructuring, including a pause in operations for 2018 and 2019 before returning to the Xfinity Series. Strategic partnerships, chassis acquisitions, and later co-ownership ties helped the team stabilize and expand its race-week operations and driver lineup after the relaunch.
Alpha Prime Racing Competitive Journey
Alpha Prime Racing advanced steadily from occasional regional starts to a consistent presence in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The program’s competitive journey is marked by gradual improvement in results, a rebrand and partnership that broadened funding and driver options, and incremental on-track milestones such as top-10 and top-five finishes.
Early Seasons and Development (2009–2014)
The team made its first national-level appearances in the Camping World Truck Series in 2009 and ran ARCA Racing Series events in 2010 and 2011, using those starts to gain experience on superspeedways and intermediate ovals. In ARCA competition the team posted solid early showings, including an eighth-place finish at Daytona in 2010 and a fourteenth-place result at Daytona in 2011, both driven by Tommy Joe Martins.
Those early seasons emphasized seat time, equipment acquisition and learning the operational demands of national touring competition. The organization fielded a variety of car numbers and part-time entries while developing relationships with chassis suppliers and technical partners that would support later Xfinity efforts.
Breakthrough in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2014–Present)
Alpha Prime Racing entered the NASCAR Xfinity Series program with a debut at Phoenix in 2014, then continued to grow its presence in the series across the following decade. After a period of contraction and a temporary shutdown, the team returned to Xfinity competition with renewed investment in 2020, purchasing chassis from established providers and rebuilding its shop and personnel to compete full time where possible.
The team recorded its first Xfinity top-10 result in 2020 when Tommy Joe Martins finished tenth at Texas Motor Speedway. In 2022 the organization formally rebranded to Alpha Prime Racing following a partnership with Caesar Bacarella, expanding the driver lineup and increasing the number of entries run under the Alpha Prime name. That rebrand marked a clear shift toward growth and longer-term commitment in Xfinity competition.
The Alpha Prime program continued to develop through the 2023 and 2024 seasons with a mixture of full-time drivers and multi-driver seat sharing across its entries. Brennan Poole was announced as a full-time driver for 2024, joining a driver rotation that has included Jeffrey Earnhardt, Ryan Ellis, Sage Karam, Stefan Parsons and others in different events and schedules.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2022–Present)
Since the 2022 rebrand the team has been co-owned by members of the Martins family and Caesar Bacarella and operates from its Mooresville, North Carolina base. Tommy Joe Martins serves as the team president and leads race operations and organizational direction. The team lists its manufacturer as TBA while focusing on expanding its Xfinity entries and stabilizing its part- and full-time driver lineups.
Alpha Prime has invested in inventory, logistics and driver development while pursuing partnerships to keep pace with larger independent teams. Notable operational moves include chassis purchases from established suppliers and key midseason personnel changes that produced measurable on-track improvements.
Engineering Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The team’s technical approach has emphasized pragmatic equipment acquisition and adaptability, using purchased chassis and selective technical relationships to improve competitiveness. Tactical midseason changes, including personnel additions, have correlated with better race results, demonstrating a focus on operational flexibility and incremental performance gains.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Major moments in the team’s modern history include the 2020 return to the Xfinity Series and the first top-10 finish at Texas, the 2022 rebrand to Alpha Prime Racing after a partnership with Caesar Bacarella, and a series of firsts in 2025 when Brennan Poole recorded the team’s first non-superspeedway top-five finish at Martinsville and a multi-car double top-five performance at Rockingham that also featured Parker Retzlaff.
Alpha Prime Racing Achievements and Results
Across its national series participation the organization has built a record of sustained participation and incremental results improvement rather than championships or race victories to date. Official tallies reflect extensive Xfinity Series participation and multi-series experience while the team continues to chase higher finishes and broader competitive consistency.
Xfinity Series Achievements
Alpha Prime Racing has concentrated its efforts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in recent seasons. The operation’s Xfinity program has produced top-10 and top-five results, including the team’s first Xfinity top-10 at Texas in 2020 and breakthrough non-superspeedway top-five finishes in 2025. The team’s Xfinity entry list has included consistent full-season drivers as well as several part-time and developmental drivers across its multiple car numbers.
Truck Series and Development Program Success
The team’s early Truck Series activity provided foundational experience in national touring competition. Martins Motorsports and its successor entries ran Truck Series events from the team’s 2009 debut through a series of part-time efforts, and the program used Truck and ARCA starts to prepare personnel and drivers for Xfinity competition. Across Truck and ARCA campaigns the organization focused on development and seat time rather than championship results.
Verified cumulative statistics for the organization list roughly 250 national series starts across Xfinity, Truck and ARCA competition, with the majority in the Xfinity Series. The team has not recorded national series race victories, championships or pole positions as of the latest recorded seasons but continues to expand its program and pursue improved results.
