by Reid Scearce
Viking Motorsports’ speedy rise in NASCAR is thrilling to observe as they work laborious to earn a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection Chase spot.
In an trade the place middle-of-the-pack NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection groups usually wrestle to beat the hole separating them from championship-contending organizations, Viking Motorsports seemingly skipped the various years it regularly takes organizations to achieve the higher echelon in 2026. Nonetheless, it’s troublesome to attribute Viking Motorsports’ speedy efficiency enchancment purely to a confluence of expertise and luck.
Viking Motorsports’ Fast Rise
Viking Motorsports made their NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection debut at Richmond Raceway in 2024 as an RSS Racing affiliate workforce earlier than transitioning to an unbiased full-time operation in 2025. Matt DiBenedetto was the full-time driver of the No. 99 Ford Mustang, incomes a number of Eleventh-place finishes earlier than being changed by Connor Mosack for the ultimate three races of the season. The No. 99 automotive completed twenty fifth within the closing proprietor level standings.
On the core of Viking’s enchancment lies the workforce’s offseason exercise earlier than the 2026 season. Proprietor Don Sackett and workforce administration joined forces with RCR’s buyer alliance program, forming a deep technical partnership. The deal additionally coincided with the workforce’s growth to 2 vehicles. Parker Retzlaff was set to drive the No. 99, whereas Anthony Alfredo would take the wheel of the No. 96 full-time. Viking Motorsports went from a totally independently run operation to at least one that had direct entry to RCR’s engineering infrastructure, simulation knowledge, and ECR engine package deal. With three races remaining within the common season, the outcomes on monitor point out that the alliance has been immensely helpful. Retzlaff and Alfredo enter this week’s race at Indianapolis with a mixed six top-five finishes, 15 top-ten finishes, and 28 top-20 finishes.
Parker Retzlaff comfortably sits ninth within the level standings, all however securing his spot in The Chase. Retzlaff’s regular racecraft, capacity to maximise stage factors, and knack for minimizing errors have helped elevate the uncooked pace of the No. 99 workforce right into a official postseason risk.
When requested about his workforce’s assist and making The Chase, Retzlaff informed us Friday morning, “The workforce is extraordinarily centered on constructing the quickest vehicles we will. Quite a lot of laborious work and dedication goes in week in and week out. We’re trying ahead to seeing how these subsequent three weeks play out for us. I’m immensely grateful for this chance and look ahead to seeing what we will proceed to perform as a workforce.”
Anthony Alfredo
Reunited with crew chief Josh Graham, Anthony Alfredo has proven tempo akin to his teammate, if not sometimes higher than Retzlaff. Nonetheless, his Sixteenth-place factors place belies the No. 96 workforce’s efficiency. 116 factors beneath the Chase reduce line, Alfredo wants a miracle to make the postseason. Regardless of having a number of aggressive runs, a number of wrecks attributable to being on the incorrect place on the incorrect time, together with one late at Naval Base Coronado that relegated him from inside the highest 5 to a DNF and a Thirty fifth-place end, have taken him out of rivalry for a top-12 factors spot. Alfredo’s season serves as a case research in how frequent unhealthy luck can derail the season of an in any other case genuinely quick automotive.
The Group
Viking Motorsports will hope to take care of their pace because the postseason inches nearer. Whereas the progress from one 12 months to the following has been staggering, demonstrating that the younger group has the power to deal with the burden of a two-car program throughout vital stretches of the season and persistently end the place they run would be the subsequent step in proving they belong among the many sequence’ prime groups.
