If there’s one aspect Lavar Scott recollects, it’s the noise.
Scott remembers attending Dover Motor Speedway during his childhood, and the experience wasn’t exactly pleasant. In fact, Scott recalls cupping his hands over his ears in an attempt to drown out the loud atmosphere.
Fast forward to 2025, and what was once displeasure is now excitement, with Scott looking to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the “Monster Mile” on Saturday as driver of the No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet in the BetRivers 200 (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). In a deal announced on July 1, the Dover date will be the first of two Xfinity Series races Scott will attempt with the team this season, with the other scheduled for September at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
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“I think I’m definitely mentally ready,” Scott said. “I mean, I’m 21 now. I’ve been in ARCA for two years, so this is something that could have happened years ago, right? I could have expedited this process a long time ago, but I just waited to, I felt like, mentally, it was the right time. I have the experience on my belt, and I’ve raced mile-and-a-half tracks, short tracks, Daytona (International Speedway), Talladega (Superspeedway). So I feel mentally, this is the time to do so.
“So I’m ready for that. I have no type of nerves in that way, or kind of scared, or ‘am I ready’ doubtful mindset at all, just pure excitement. I know I’ve put in the work in the past five years with Rev Racing, and I’ve learned, I’ve watched, I’ve talked to many people and I think I’ve done the true underwork to have a good performance and have a good debut in this. I think we’ll do it.”
While a potential NASCAR national-series start is a new frontier for Scott, racing is anything but. As part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, Scott wheeled his way through the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series in 2021-22 before making the jump to the ARCA Menards Series in 2023. After a 2023 campaign where he tallied five top fives and seven top 10s in the East Series, Scott transitioned to full-time competition in 2024. Upward momentum continued; the No. 6 Rev Racing Chevrolet driver compiled 15 top 10s out of 20 races, finished second in the championship standings and won the 2024 ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year Award.
Visual acclimation and simulator work have helped Scott prepare for the weekend. Even still, Scott can’t ignore ARCA (which he describes as his “office”), where he has sharpened his racing craft with Rev Racing; Scott is currently third in the 2025 championship standings and has six top fives and nine top 10s in nine races, with Friday’s General Tire 150 (5 p.m. ET, FS1) the opportunity to continue positive momentum.
“I think I’m balancing the two pretty well, like, I know I need to put in extra work for the Xfinity side of things, because it’s something I haven’t done before, right?” Scott said. “But I’m definitely not forgetting the main thing is the ARCA car. That’s obviously a fight for the championship, so I got to keep the main thing, but I know I need to work hard on the Xfinity side of things, so when I do go to practice and unload, we’re not off pace, right? But just gotta balance the two. I think I’ve done it pretty well.”
Dover will act as a homecoming of sorts for Scott, who, as a New Jersey native, considers the 1-miler to be his “home” track. As such, eagerness (and, admittedly, impatience) to hit the Delaware concrete has only grown, and talking to drivers — including Craftsman Truck Series full-timer Rajah Caruth — has further provided an avenue to prepare for the big day.
Adjusting to the field will also receive emphasis, especially since Scott has raced against several full-time Xfinity Series drivers before at the very same track. Look no further than the 2024 General Tire 150, where Scott finished fourth and Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil (now JR Motorsports teammates) scored first and third, respectively.
“I feel like every lap you’re around somebody or you’re racing somebody,” Scott said when speaking about the strength of the Xfinity Series field, “you have to do something different to try to get around somebody or block somebody. So I think with that, I’m trying to get acclimated to that racing because I feel like in ARCA you have multiple laps to kind of think about before you do it, whereas in Xfinity, I mean, every single lap is gonna be different racing around with somebody, and if you make a move, you’re gonna get passed by 10 people, right? So, I think with that, it’s good for me because I get to learn. And that’s what I’m doing this for is to learn and get experience.”
Representation also plays a factor in Scott’s mindset heading into the weekend. As part of the Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program’s 2024 class, Scott not only has grown his racing portfolio, but has also encouraged kids from diverse backgrounds to gain an interest in racing.
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Understanding his impact has only made his upcoming Saturday start that much more exciting, and to do so with Alpha Prime Racing — the same team Caruth debuted with in 2022 — is an opportunity Scott won’t forget.
“I mean, it’s been so big for me,” Scott said. “I mean, the message that I’ve got from kids that are kind of looking up to me now, saying they support me, watching me and trying to come to the race, has been so much for me. That’s a lot of reason why I’m here, right, if I want to do things that I do. So it’s exciting for me, and I’ll try to have a good result for, really, all my fans and supporters. Like I said, I just can’t wait, and I’m so excited.”
The next step in the racing journey begins in familiar territory for the young Scott, and while Dover might’ve turned Scott away all those years ago, nothing is doing so now.
This time, there will be much more to remember.
“This is something that I’ve always wanted my whole life was to have this moment,” Scott said. “So I’m just happy. Life is very good right now.”