Lavar Scott Clinches Full-Time Drive with Alpha Prime Racing

Lavar Scott will compete full-time in the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Alpha Prime Racing, driving the No. 45 Chevrolet, the team confirmed Monday.

The 22-year-old steps up after consecutive runner-up finishes in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024 and 2025, underlining consistent pace and execution.

Scott sampled Xfinity competition in 2025, qualifying 22nd and finishing 28th at Dover, then charging from 36th to 19th at Gateway for Alpha Prime Racing.

Alpha Prime operated multiple entries in 2025, including the No. 44 and No. 4, shared primarily by Brennan Poole and Parker Retzlaff.

Retzlaff departs to Viking Motorsports, while Poole remains and partners Scott for 2026, shaping a balanced lineup of experience and youth.

The full-time commitment signals Alpha Prime’s intent to invest resources around Scott, from engineering continuity to pit crew cohesion across varied ovals and road courses.

For Scott, the priority becomes qualifying consistency and race management, converting long-run pace into stage results and clean finishes across a demanding calendar.

His social message captured the moment: “Don’t know what to say or type… Had a dream since 3, and it’s actually happening. INSANE feeling.”

Expectations remain measured. Rookie campaigns often hinge on minimizing mistakes, maximizing attrition opportunities, and capitalizing on strategy during cautions and pit cycles.

Alpha Prime’s 2026 program should benefit from stable driver feedback and clearer development priorities, aiding setup correlation between simulator work and track evolution.

With a full schedule ahead, Scott gains the repetition necessary to refine restarts, traffic management, and tire conservation under NASCAR’s compressed practice formats.

If progress tracks upward, Alpha Prime positions itself for regular top-20s, with occasional opportunities to exceed baseline on execution-heavy weekends.

Visual Summary