Lavar Scott Running for Rookie of The Year in 2026 with Alpha Prime

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Another brand-new Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contender has entered the ring for the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign, in the form of Carney's Point, New Jersey-native Lavar Scott.

The 22-year-old driver is joining forces with Alpha Prime Racing, the multi-car operation co-owned by Tommy Joe Martins and Caesar Bacarella, to pilot the No. 45 Chevrolet Camaro for the complete O'Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign.

Scott has spent each of the last two seasons competing in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 6 for REV Racing as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. Although Scott never made it to Victory Lane, despite several close-calls, the fan-favorite driver collected 26 top-five finishes in 46 career starts and finished second in points in both of his full-time campaigns.

“Don’t know what to say or type,”Scott said in a social media post sharing the news. “Just thank you to everyone involved. Had a dream and plan since three years old, and it’s actually happening. Insane feeling.”

Don’t know what to say or type. Just thank you to everyone involved. Had a dream and plan since 3 years old, and it’s actually happening. INSANE feeling🫨@TeamAlphaPrime @TommyJoeMartins

— Lavar Scott (@LavarScott) December 8, 2025

Earlier this season, Scott made his first leap into NASCAR's National Series with a two-race stint behind the wheel of the No. 45 for Alpha Prime Racing at Dover and World Wide Technology Raceway, where he secured finishes of 19th and 28th.

While Scott will be navigating the majority of the racetracks on the 33-race NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign for the first time in his career, he'll have the help of veteran teammate Brennan Poole, who is slated to return to the No. 44 Chevrolet for the Alpha Prime Racing team in 2026.

Alpha Prime Racing is coming off one of its strongest seasons to date in NASCAR's second-tier division, securing four top-five finishes (two from Brennan Poole, one from Parker Retzlaff, and one from Caesar Bacarella) and nine top-10s, the best of which was a runner-up result at Rockingham Speedway from Retzlaff and the No. 4 team.

The organization has been active in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly the NASCAR Xfinity Series) since 2020, when the team was known as Martins Motorsports, and has evolved into the multi-car team that it is now over the last five seasons.

Additional updates regarding Scott's 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series program, including sponsorship and personnel, will come in the form of future announcements from Alpha Prime Racing at a later date.