Seven weeks into the , has matched his greatest end, accomplished each lap and planted himself within the firm of a few of the largest groups within the sport.
This comes within the well-traveled, 22-year-old Rhinelander native’s first season with a second-year crew.
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“I don’t assume we’re overperforming in any respect,” stated Retzlaff, who sits ninth in .
“It’s positively sustainable for the entire yr, and I believe that there’s simply extra little stuff we are able to work on as we get vehicles constructed. And as we get a bit of bit farther forward of every thing, we have now started working on the little stuff that every one these actually huge groups do. That’s the place these guys get you, with all of the little particulars.”
This pushed, matter-of-fact, gained’t-back-down perspective is among the traits basic supervisor Jeremy Lange loves in regards to the driver of the crew’s No. 99 Chevrolet.
However, right here’s the place they differ.
Parker Retzlaff of Rhinelander is in his fourth full NASCAR season at age 22, racing a Chevrolet for Viking Motorsports within the O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection.
“If you happen to had been to inform me in December, that we’d be eleventh in proprietor factors and he’d be ninth in driver factors, I’d inform you you’re loopy,” Lange stated.
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Oh, they each knew this form of efficiency was inside attain when Lange sat down with Retzlaff final October. That’s why they bought collectively.
However Lange thought of contending for a playoff spot by the top of this season “a strech objective.” It wasn’t in his wildest goals that Retzlaff, crew chief Danny Efland and their crew may have reached this far, this nimbly, this rapidly.
“As a competitor, I’d be shocked if he didn’t assume he may do what he’s doing,” Lange stated. “Parker and any driver that you’ve in your race vehicles, they assume they’re the perfect driver on that monitor at any given day. And Parker thinks he can win each race, which is what we would like.
“It’s onerous. These are the perfect drivers. And we’re competing in opposition to some groups who’ve been doing this for a very long time. I’m excited the place we’re, and I assumed we had been gonna be fifteenth to twentieth proper now, not eleventh. However equally, if we had been twenty fifth or 30, I’d be disillusioned.”
Parker Retzlaff joined Viking Motorsports for 2026 and by his second race had recorded the crew’s greatest end.
Parker Retzlaff arrived in NASCAR with a splash regardless of no fanfare
This isn’t the primary time in NASCAR.
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He arrived in 2022 with simply three ARCA nationwide begins and 13 regional races on his résumé, becoming a member of RSS Racing in what was often called the Xfinity Collection for what could be the beginning of a nine-race run. Retzlaff certified sixth for his debut and completed twelfth or higher thrice in his first 5 races that abbreviated season with RSS and Our Motorsports.
The thrill was short-lived although, and with minimal sponsorship and no huge crew behind him, Retzlaff was preventing simply to remain within the recreation.
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With rising Jordan Anderson Racing in 2023, Retzlaff managed seven top-10 finishes and positioned a formidable sixteenth in factors. The three-car crew’s efficiency dropped off , and he ended up twenty first and was on the transfer once more.
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Retzlaff ended up at Alpha Prime, for which he recorded the crew’s greatest end, second at Rockingham, however he managed simply two different top-10 leads to 2025 and dropped yet another spot within the factors.
In October, although, Retzlaff’s agent, Austin Craven, linked him with Lange at Talladega. Earlier than the season was out that they had a deal in place for 2026, and Retzlaff had the earliest bounce on a season he’d ever loved.
“It’s a must to go the place you have got alternative, however I additionally assume typically stuff doesn’t work out, it’s not a great match, and also you’ve type of bought to make the change although if it’s a little bit onerous,” Retzlaff stated.
“After which simply making an attempt to place your self in the perfect place. I really feel like Viking general has been the perfect place I’ve ever been in, probably the most put-together {and professional} place I’ve ever been.”
RCR has helped Viking Motorsports make strides rapidly
Viking proprietor within the transportable chemical evaluation trade, bought his crew off the bottom in 2024 as a partnership with RSS. That allowed Viking to achieve proprietor factors to face by itself in 2025. Though Sackett and Retzlaff coincidentally each gained entrée with Rod Sieg’s crew, that had nothing to do with their subsequent connection, Lange stated.
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Viking went with veteran Matt DeBenedetto in ’25 however let him go three races earlier than the season ended, finally employed Retzlaff after which later added a second crew with driver Anthony Alfredo.
The crew remains to be comparatively small, with 18 workers. However an alliance with helped Viking take an enormous step ahead. The chance opened up when with Ram.
“I believe I 100% anticipated to be this sturdy as a result of we got here into the yr figuring out what we had, the folks we had,” Retzlaff stated. “The automobile and stuff issues and all that, however I believe with us having the ECR [Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines] and RCR alliance, we’re within the ballpark fairly nicely. So … it simply then comes all the way down to the fellows and the folks you have got and the way onerous they work and all that stuff.
“The crew’s within the second yr of ever operating, first yr with all of us and mainly everybody was model new firstly of this yr. That they had a giant refresh within the offseason of latest stuff, new folks … and it’s simply all of the expertise and information coming within the constructing and everybody placing their heads collectively and having the identical objective and specializing in the identical issues.”
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The alliance with RCR provides Viking entry to the information that helped and put two vehicles within the high 4 within the standings. In flip, RCR advantages from the information gained by Retzlaff and Alfredo and their crew chiefs and engineers.
“We’re nonetheless consuming from a hearth hose of types,” Lange stated. “We really feel that these subsequent 4 or 5 will enable us to catch our breath and type of get our toes beneath us.”
Parker Retzlaff exhibits spectacular management at age 22
JR Motorsports veteran Justin Allgaier leads the standings heading into Rockingham April 4 with Jesse Love of RCR, Sheldon Creed of Haas Manufacturing facility Group and Hill of RCR in tow. Retzlaff ranks ninth, forward of Rajah Caruth of JRM and Jordan Andreson Racing (tenth), Sam Mayer of Haas (eleventh) and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Taylor Grey (twelfth) and William Sawalich (14th) amongst others.
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Whereas crediting RCR, Lange is also fast to tip his cap to Retzlaff, who has exceeded expectations on and, maybe extra impressively, off the monitor.
“I can’t converse sufficient for him about his management abilities as a 22-year-old younger man, his skill, want to do the perfect he can, is exclusive at that age. It simply is,” Lange stated.
“I’ll give an ideal instance. He drove to Darlington within the van with the fellows vs. drive himself. He’s one of many guys. I can’t say why he does it, aside from the truth that he does do it, and it’s spectacular. And it speaks volumes to the camaraderie that we’re constructing at Viking.
“He brings Chick-fil-A to the store for the fellows. After Vegas, he left the monitor early after the race and bought In-N-Out Burger for all the fellows. It’s simply what he does.”
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Retzlaff recorded the crew’s greatest end Feb. 21 when he sneaked by means of a final lap crash at Atlanta and .
It’s not a lot the end that has been the largest spotlight for Retzlaff, it’s the consistency he has developed over three full seasons and components of two others. For somebody who arrived at NASCAR’s second-highest degree with minimal expertise in full-sized inventory vehicles, he’s being observed – in a constructive method – each week.
“In 2024 … I had two poles and I believe we confirmed quite a lot of velocity, however I believe that I used to be nonetheless a bit of younger, nonetheless put myself in some not superb positions,” he stated, “and I ended up getting harm or wrecked due to placing myself in unhealthy positions.
“So it’s been good this yr to see the velocity nonetheless be there but in addition have the ability to simply be a bit of bit smarter and never attempt to push too onerous and put [myself] in a nasty spot.”
Parker Retzlaff leads a pack of vehicles within the O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection race March 14 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Might Parker Retzlaff’s first win be across the subsequent nook?
In Retzlaff’s thoughts there’s nothing actually conserving him from profitable this weekend or subsequent or the one after that. It’s a matter of how and when, not if.
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“If you happen to put your self in that high 5 and even high seven space each week, in some unspecified time in the future stuff has to fall in line so that you can grow to be a bit of bit fortunate within the scenario or simply do every thing proper sufficient and produce other folks make errors sufficient to the place you might be in that place,” he stated.
“You see individuals who have lots much less velocity who find yourself profitable races simply because in some unspecified time in the future you’re in a adequate spot and also you fall into the place of it. … There’s simply quite a lot of stuff that we are able to do higher to attempt to put ourselves in a greater place.”
Retzlaff was extra pissed off than pleased when he completed second at Atlanta. Lange reminded him that when it comes to growth, the crew was nonetheless between the crawling and strolling levels even when it “may sniff moments of operating.”
“We wish to chase checkered flags and race for wins, however we additionally know who we’re,” Lange stated. “I don’t assume we ever envisioned it occurring this quick or folks speaking about us this quick.”
However quick is what the game’s all about.
