Manufacture alliance is a big thing in NASCAR racing, especially on superspeedway tracks. There’s a fine line drivers have to tread while making decision calls on the racetrack, this is something Parker Retzlaff can relate to pretty well. The Xfinity Series driver was involved in the last-lap shootout during last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 race at Daytona, and his decision to help Harrison Burton over Kyle Busch led to drama and uncertainty over his Xfinity Series ride for 2025.
The thing is, Retzlaff was driving the No. 62 Beard Motorsports car, a team that has an alliance with RCR. Ideally, the Chevy pack sticks together, and Rowdy was hoping for a push from No. 62 on the final lap. But surprisingly, he lined up behind Burton’s No. 21 Ford car and helped him clinch a spot in the playoffs. What followed next was his departure from Jordan Anderson Racing; the timing of the announcement further fueled speculations whether RCR had something to do with it.
There were rumors about Retzlaff joining Spire Motorsports, but he finally landed on his feet at Alpha Prime Racing. “I can’t thank John Bommartio for giving me my first full-time opportunity to race in Xfinity Series.” This was the driver’s statement announcing his departure from the No. 31 team, and it looked as if they parted on good terms.
Now, it’s hard to say if RCR or the Chevy camp had a role in his departure, but as it turns out, this shift from JAR to Alpha Prime Racing hasn’t been an easy one for Retzlaff. And surprisingly, the driver had called out his former team stating the reason behind his switch in 2025.
“Some stuff didn’t match, some stuff wasn’t working. I needed a change in my life to be happier from a sponsor’s side and from my side. I was there for two years, and I didn’t have the same people for two years in a row. They switched every single person both years. I think I had a lot of pieces that could have worked well, but not with so much change in my life” Retzlaff said this to NASCAR.
Retzlaff’s frustration stems from a lack of competitive speed and constant changes within the team. And if we compare his rookie year numbers to 2024, his frustration is somewhat justified. He had to endure 12 DNFs throughout the 2024 season, and his best runs were at superspeedway tracks like Daytona and Atlanta. From finishing 16th in the points standings in his rookie year to falling to 21st in the second year was indeed alarming for the driver.
Moreover, he’s much more vocal about the things he wants from his race team compared to his rookie year. And this was one of the reasons he switched to Alpha Prime Racing. “I was really quiet when I first started and never said anything. Now, I feel like I need to say something if something needs a change, and I think that was some of the problem. I didn’t feel like I had as much say as I needed to have for it to go better for me and for the sponsor’s side. I’m happy to make a little bit of change.”
However, the switch to No. 4 Chevy hasn’t been a joyride. If anything Parker Retzlaff has found himself in a similar situation like last year.
Did Parker Retzlaff make the right call leaving Jordan Anderson Racing?
The opening six races of the 2025 season have been rough for the driver and the #4 team. He was involved in a wreck running top 15 at Daytona and he had to deal with a tire failure while battling with Austin Hill at Atlanta. Superspeedway races were his strengths; he had two top 5 finishes last year and even finished P7 in the Cup race where he helped Burton to win. So this results were indeed a bummer for the Retzlaff.
Misery continued at COTA, where mechanical failure ended his week, and he had to return home without any points. But in the last three races, he seems to have made amends and is finishing inside the top 20. Even with the setbacks, the driver is still focused on the bigger picture to reach the playoffs, and that will only come with consistent top 15 runs. But his team owner, Tommy Joe Martins believes that Retzlaff can win a race this year.
“If the goal is to make the playoffs, the only way that we’re going to do that is to win a race. I think when we are firing on all cylinders, we’re probably racing around the top 15. In Parker’s case, he’s shown he can race around the top 10, but that’s still not scoring major stage points every week.” Martins said.
Well, the pressure is on Retzlaff to deliver the goods and lock himself in the playoffs. With just six appearances this year, the No. 4 team still has a lot of opportunities to turn the tides in their favor.
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