Ryan Ellis will compete for Alpha Prime Racing in the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, the team announced on Thursday. The 36-year-old previously ran both part-time and full-time for Alpha Prime from 2022 to 2024. This newest agreement is a multi-year deal.
“I’m incredibly excited to be back at Alpha Prime Racing,” Ellis said. “This team has been a massive part of my NASCAR career. The last time we were together, my NASCAR career grew from a few races each season to competing full time in NASCAR, something I thought I’d never get the chance to do. My first handful of races with Alpha Prime Racing were ones that I will never forget. I felt like I was given a massive opportunity back then, and I feel the same way about this opportunity five years later.”
Tablo TV will follow Ellis from Young’s Motorsports to Alpha Prime. Further sponsorship, a car number, and Ellis’s crew chief are expected to be announced at a later date.
Last month Ellis confirmed his plans to leave Young’s Motorsports at the end of 2026 after one season. After 29 races Ellis is 27th in the standings, lowest among those who have made every start this season. The No. 02 Young’s Motorsports team has one top-10 finish, a sixth-place run in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
“Ryan has a strong history with Alpha Prime Racing, and we’re excited to welcome him back as we continue building for the future,” said Alpha Prime President Jusan Hamilton. “He understands what it takes to compete at this level, but just as importantly, he understands the value of building lasting relationships with partners. As we prepare for our transition to Ford in 2027, having Ryan return on a multi-year agreement brings valuable experience, continuity and a strong commercial foundation to our program. We look forward to building on that together.”
Earlier this year at Darlington Raceway, Alpha Prime Racing announced their plans to switch from Chevrolet to Ford for the 2027 season. After debuting their Mustang Dark Horses in that weekend’s race, APR began a gradual phase-in for the remainder of 2026 before going all-in with Ford next season.
Alpha Prime’s announcement makes them the only committed Ford team in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next year. At the start of 2026 there was only Hettinger Racing, who ultimately shut down after 11 races.
Earlier this week Alpha Prime Racing announced that Brennan Poole will not return to the No. 44 car in 2027. Poole has competed full-time for Alpha Prime since the start of the 2024 season. His teammate this year is Lavar Scott, whose 2027 situation has not been officially announced.
