CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR Xfinity Series owner and driver Tommy Joe Martins has partnered with Caesar Bacarella to form Alpha Prime Racing.
The team will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season with Martins and Bacarella sharing driving duties with rookie Rajah Caruth.
The news comes a few weeks after Martins announced he wouldn’t compete full time in his own No. 44 Martins Motorsports car next season, opening up the seat to other potential drivers.
For Alpha Prime CEO and NASCAR Xfinity Series part-timer Bacarella, it was an opportunity too good to pass up.
“I want to build something,” Bacarella said. “I love this sport. That’s why I do it. I’ve known Tommy and his dad since 2018, and when I saw the news about them going part time, I started asking questions. It led to a discussion about ownership, which is something I’d already been thinking about.”
Martins shares the excitement with his new co-owner.
“Caesar is such a great dude,” Martins said. “He actually called me asking about what would it take to start a team. I told him a whole lot.
“I mentioned my dad and Rodney [Riessen, co-owner of MMS] wanting to take a step back and proposed the idea of a partnership,” Martins continued. “It’s a perfect situation for both of us. He brings so much business knowledge and marketing savvy to the table for us, and obviously I’ve been through the school of hard knocks racing wise. I think we complement each other really well.”
Bacarella plans to contest a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule next year while also racing a Lamborghini for TR3 Racing. Martins, meanwhile, expects to compete in between 10 and 15 races. Caruth is scheduled to compete in at least three races next year, including events at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway.
Martins left the door open for additional races to be added at Pocono Raceway and Kansas Speedway, pending sponsorship.
“Rajah is the future for us,” Martins said. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know him and his dad, Roger, over the last few months and they are exactly the type of people we want to be a part of Alpha Prime Racing. Rajah has his whole career in front of him. I’m just honored they trust us to be one of his first steps.”
Bacarella was more matter of fact about the young driver.
“He’s going to be a star,” Caesar said. “No question about it.”
The team plans to maintain Caruth’s rookie status in the Xfinity Series heading into the 2023 season as he continues his development plan in ARCA and in late model stock car competition for Rev Racing.
“I’m extremely honored to have the opportunity to continue my progression as both a racer and a young man in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022 with Tommy, Caesar, and Alpha Prime Racing,” Caruth said. I’ve had the great fortune of having such great people surrounding me thus far in my career, and i’m ecstatic to add some more to that circle with APR.”
Caruth, 19, has been a member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program since 2018. He currently competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he’s scored four top 10’s and two top fives in six starts. He’s also competed part time in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, scoring wins at Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway this year.
“2021 has been a great season for us at Rev Racing in both the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and the ARCA Menards East,” Caruth said. “I’m excited to finish out our year stoutly.”