With just over an hour until the scheduled green flag for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Alpha Prime Racing announced that its co-owner Tommy Joe Martins will replace its other co-owner Caesar Bacarella in the team’s No. 45 Chevrolet.
Bacarella experienced a mechanical issue in qualifying and was scheduled to start from the rear of the field. Martins will be making his first Xfinity start in more than two years, with his last coming at Texas Motor Speedway in September 2022.
In six prior Talladega starts, Martins has never finished worse than 18th.
NEWS: The 45 team will see a driver change. Co-Owner @TommyJoeMartins will fill in for @AlphaBacarella this afternoon at @TALLADEGA.#UnitedRentals250 | @XfinityRacing pic.twitter.com/LyxnhugfEs
— Alpha Prime Racing (@TeamAlphaPrime) October 5, 2024