Less than three years ago, Brennan Poole wasn’t sure if he’d ever race competitively again. Now, he’s thriving with Alpha Prime Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Poole returned to Alpha Prime in 2025 after a successful 2024, finishing 16th in the championship standings. He nearly redeemed himself at Talladega Superspeedway last season, battling for the victory some eight years after thinking he picked up his first triumph, only to get it pulled in favor of Elliott Sadler in 2016.
The first-year success with veteran crew chief Frank Kerr was enough for Poole to run it back in 2025.
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“We’re coming off the truck every single weekend, and our cars are driving good,” Poole told NASCAR.com. “We lack some raw pace and don’t have leased engines or sim, and we’re lacking some things, but we make up for it in really good driving and handling race cars and have been able to execute and not make mistakes.”
That was most recently on display last weekend at the Chicago Street Course, where Poole tallied a top 10. Earlier in the season, he earned a pair of top-five finishes at Martinsville Speedway and Rockingham Speedway. With 15 races remaining, he already has a trio of top 10s, the most in a season for a driver in Alpha Prime’s young history.
“We already have two top fives this year, which has been huge,” Poole said. “We’ve had a couple instances that have been out of our control that I wish didn’t happen because we would have more points stacked. It’s been a competitive year.”
Poole ranks 18th in the regular-season standings, ahead of one Kaulig Racing entry and a full-time Joe Gibbs Racing competitor. Many teams behind the No. 44 Chevrolet have full-leased engine deals, including teammate Parker Retzlaff in the No. 4 machine.
Given the financial dynamics, the No. 44 team, led by Poole, is setting a new precedent.
“You probably have to look at it and say there are [38] teams out there, and I’ll tell you that the 44 budget is probably like 33rd or 34th in the budget rankings,” Tommy Joe Martins, co-owner of Alpha Prime Racing, said. “You look at that and see that they are 18th in points, it’s hard not to look at that and say that it’s not impressive. They consistently punch above their weight class, more than any other team we’ve ever had.”
No matter the resources, Alpha Prime has never used that as an excuse to perform poorly. Another key factor, Martins believes, is that the 34-year-old Poole is appreciative of the opportunity to rebuild his career.
“We prepare every single week as if we’re here to win the race because we are to get the best possible result that we can,” Poole said. “If you can continue to do that and stay motivated and stay excited and are proud of the work that you’re putting in and doing, then that continues to raise everybody up.”
The morale wins are weekends like Chicago, where Poole wrestled his No. 44 Chevy around the city streets to a 10th-place result. His average finish is 18.8, on pace to be his best since competing at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2017 (13.5).
“I think there’s a real competitiveness to him and a real chip on the shoulder that I see that probably fits a little bit of the same with me,” Martins noted of why the pairing clicked immediately. “I’ve always had to figure out how to do it with a little bit less. Brennan was in a spot where he had a great opportunity that was taken away and basically had to take whatever he could get and never gave up. That fits well with our team and the mindset and mentality.
“If you look at the series over the last couple of years, if he’s not doing the best job, he’s probably in the running of the top five of guys that are doing the best job with what they have.”
Poole believes his stock within the industry has risen. He’s aware that other team owners know how much he’s exceeded expectations given the tools the No. 44 team is working with. He’s at ease competing for Alpha Prime but wouldn’t shy away from an opportunity with a bigger team.
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“I love it because there’s nothing better than when you can go out and beat guys who are on full alliances with a big team,” Poole said. “When I pass them and beat them in a race – our hard work as a team – that part of it is so fun. It’s sort of like an exclamation point to all the other owners of like, ‘Hey, I’m here, I’m doing this.’ I want an opportunity to race in a top car again to race for championships and win races because I know that I can do it.
“I’m hopeful that there will be a team owner out there that has some sponsorship money or something already so that we can work together, and I could get that opportunity. I’ve really enjoyed being [at Alpha Prime], and if I’m still here another year, that’s OK too. I just want to keep racing and being competitive. I’m having a lot of fun right now. I’m definitely overachieving, and if we have to do it another year to get noticed, then it is what it is.”
With Silly Season quickly approaching, Martins admitted that Poole is having preliminary conversations and will likely lock down a ride earlier than he ever has throughout his career.
Poole and the No. 44 team will next do battle at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).