Viking Motorsports builds around Retzlaff: ‘Best opportunity I’ve ever had’

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When the No. 99 Chevrolet for Viking Motorsports opened late in the 2025 season, many eyes perked up within the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series garage. The upstart organization was ready to take its next step toward the front of the pack.

The desired ride by many within the series went to Parker Retzlaff, making the transition from a one-year stint at Alpha Prime Racing. The decision was simple for the Wisconsin native.

“I knew there were a lot of people in talks with the car and it was up in the air,” Retzlaff recalled to NASCAR.com. “I found out that I had the opportunity to take it and I took it instantly. I knew with who was coming here that they were building a good program with a lot of the people around here. I think we’ve shown a lot this year and there’s still more to show.”

Retzlaff was accompanied by second-year crew chief and former racer Danny Efland, who led AM Racing to the 2025 postseason, gaining 19 positions in the championship standings compared to 2024. Viking also signed an enhanced alliance agreement with Richard Childress Racing, hoping to boost its performance.

The third-year team was ecstatic to have a ride for which several drivers were vying.

“Our view is, you have to put a good product on the race track, a good car with a good team with good marketing,” Don Sackett, owner of Viking Motorsports, said. “It’s a blessing that we got Parker to drive for us. He’s the nicest kid you will ever meet. He is hungry, talented, humble. The guys in the shop like him because he’s there every day helping out, being one of the guys.

Getting a young prospect like Retzlaff was important for Viking. Many within the industry — even the sport’s elite like Brad Keselowski, who said as much while guest hosting last week’s Dale Jr. Download — are high on the driver’s future, believing he maximizes every situation. But Retzlaff was hoping to show his full upside, coming off consecutive finishes outside the top 20 in the standings in 2024 and 2025 with Jordan Anderson Racing and Alpha Prime.

“I told [Rezlaff], ‘we want to give you good equipment, a good alliance, engines, build a great team around you,’ ” Sackett said. “I’m really curious to see what he can do with all of that.”

Retzlaff is cognizant of the lengths Viking went to upgrade the No. 99 team’s performance. It started a second team, led by Anthony Alfredo, to help bolster the organization’s efforts.

“I’m very happy with the position I’m in and feel like it’s the best opportunity I’ve had,” Retzlaff added. “I think I still have a lot to prove to myself. I’m still that person that until I win, I don’t feel like I’ve done enough.”

Behind the scenes, Retzlaff has increased his weekly preparation routine. He spends hours at the race shop each week doing film studies with spotter Doug Campbell. Being closely aligned with the entire organization is crucial for the driver, as he wants them to know their hard work isn’t overlooked.

“I think you just need to be there every week and prove we can do it as a company, and it will give these guys the confidence that we can do it,” he said. “We’re not here to just be involved; we want to try to run up front and win a race before the year is over.”

Through the first month of the 2026 season, the No. 99 team has been among the most impressive in the series. Retzlaff ranks ninth in the regular-season championship battle, ahead of all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in points.

The highlight of the year thus far was finishing runner-up to Sheldon Creed at EchoPark Speedway. It marked the best finish in the team’s young history. Retzlaff believes Viking can earn a Chase berth in 2026.

MORE: Parker Retzlaff’s driver page

“The mindset is to show up every week and be a playoff team come the end of the year,” Retzlaff said. “I think there’s a lot of stuff that we can work on but being at the point that we are now and the people that are around me, it’s definitely not out of the cards.”

Even with the added resources, Retzlaff isn’t adding internal pressure. Instead, he is racing freely — and it’s paid off. His average finish of 14.4 is tied with Carson Kvapil for the seventh best of full-time drivers in the series.

“I [added pressure] in 2024 and I feel like that was the biggest mistake I ever made — putting so much pressure on myself — feeling like I had to do better every week,” he noted. “I think I ended up making more mistakes and putting myself in a much worse position by putting a lot of pressure on myself.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to run well and be as prepared as I can be. But I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself where if something goes bad, I have to try to make up for it next week.”

No matter the results, scoring that elusive first victory in his fourth full-time campaign is at the top of Retzlaff’s mind in 2026.

Retzlaff put it simply: “Overall, I don’t feel like the job is done until we win as a group.”

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