Alpha Prime Racing announced during a press conference at Darlington Raceway on Saturday morning (Sept. 5) that their NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program will be switching from Chevrolet to Ford for the 2027 season.
“This is the biggest decision we’ve ever made,” team owner Caesar Bacarella said. “Competing with the Ford Mustang is an opportunity to take another step forward.”
The Ford Mustang will be run full time in the 2027 as well as in select races in the remaining 2026 season as equipment gets phased in.
Roush Yates Engines will be used by the team for its future engine program as the Blue Ovals now have another full-time organization in the O’Reilly Series after being absent for a large portion of this season.
“Our objective throughout this process has been to build a stronger and more sustainable Alpha Prime Racing,” team president Jusan Hamilton said. “We see an opportunity to build an organization around a two-car O’Reilly Series program and continue investing in our people, equipment, and infrastructure.”
The No. 44 and No. 45 teams will continue to be their two full time programs and currently sit 18th and 31st in the owners points standings respectively.
A 2027 driver lineup and future plans will be announced at a later date.
“Alpha Prime Racing has grown because of the amazing people we’ve had on this team,” team founder Tommy Joe Martins said. “We want to stand out as an organization, on and off the race track. This move is a giant step toward that.”
Michael Bellifemini joined Frontstretch in February 2026 as a contributor. Bellifemini was born and raised in New Jersey and graduated from Seton Hall University. He called Seton Hall men's and women's basketball games for their college radio station, 89.5 FM WSOU, and continues to broadcast in the area. Outside of covering NASCAR, Bellifemini is also an avid baseball, football, basketball, and hockey fan and enjoys watching different sports leagues on a daily basis.
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