The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season came to a dramatic close under the bright desert lights of Phoenix Raceway. Jesse Love, the rookie sensation, sealed his first Xfinity championship with a near-flawless performance. He fended off veterans like Aric Almirola and rising stars like Connor Zilisch in a battle that had fans on their feet. The air buzzed with celebration, tension, and exhaustion as crews packed up after a long, hard-fought year.

Yet, just as the champagne started to spray for Love’s victory, emotions elsewhere in the garage took a sharp turn. What began as another night of racing glory quickly spiraled into something far more volatile. Let’s just say, it was the kind of confrontation that reminded everyone how thin the line can be between pride and frustration in NASCAR.

Alpha Prime Racing team ‘battles’ at the NASCAR Phoenix race

Tempers flared in the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage at Phoenix Raceway following Saturday night’s race, with multiple altercations breaking out among teams. The most heated exchange came between Alpha Prime Racing co-owner Tommy Joe Martins and his own No. 4 crew chief, Joe Williams, after driver Parker Retzlaff finished a disappointing 27th.

Eyewitnesses reported that Martins and Williams were seen shouting and shoving near their haulers before team members stepped in to separate them. The two later stood side by side in the garage area, near their cars, but refusing to speak to one another. While the exact cause of the confrontation remains unclear, frustration over the team’s recent struggles appeared to play a role.

In a separate but equally tense moment, Ryan Sieg was spotted in a heated argument with Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice, adding to an already chaotic post-race scene. Sieg was earlier involved in an incident with Kaulig driver Christian Eckes, which led to him retiring from the race due to car damage. Eckes had apologized for his actions.

However, it didn’t seem to have gone well with Sieg, resulting in a confrontation with the Kaulig official. NASCAR officials have not commented on either incident, but emotions clearly ran high as the Xfinity season came to a fiery close under the Phoenix lights.

Overall, the day brought mixed results for Alpha Prime Racing as Brennan Poole finished 18th, showing solid consistency and earning 19 points. “The 44 out celebrating in the middle of pit stall like we just won the championship,” Martins revealed. On the other hand, Josh Williams ended the race 26th, Glen Reen faced challenges and finished 34th, with Retzlaff finished 27th.

It will be interesting to see how the 2026 season unfolds for Alpha Prime Racing after such an emotional ending to the year. With tensions high but lessons learned, the team will need to regroup, refocus, and channel that frustration into stronger on-track performances next season.

Heated words and hard lessons behind the Phoenix scuffle

After things had settled down, Noah Lewis spoke to Tommy Joe Martins to find out what exactly had happened. And according to Martins, the argument stemmed from a disagreement over tire strategy. Radio chatter reportedly captured frustration from Williams’ end, with comments suggesting the team owner was “too cheap” to buy another set of tires.

Martins later clarified that the No. 98 truck had qualifying scuff tires available in the pits, but Williams opted not to use them. A call that ultimately backfired as the car struggled to perform. “It’s a lot of decisions that kind of get made over the course of a season that lead to some frustration on everybody’s side right there,” Martins said afterward. “Obviously, I have one viewpoint, and I would tell you that leadership on that team has another.”

The clash highlighted the strain of running a small, underfunded NASCAR team where every call, every dollar, and every finish matters. Both men were dealing with the weight of a long, grinding season and the disappointment of seeing a potential top-20 finish slip away due to strategy choices.

Still, Martins ended his remarks on a notably mature and measured note, expressing pride rather than bitterness. “Overall, I just have to honestly say, and I told them before the race and I’ll tell them now – I’m really proud of the job they’ve done all year being a top-25 car in points.”

The numbers justify Martins’ remarks. Parker Retzlaff’s NASCAR Xfinity Series statistics include one top-five, three top-10 finishes, an average start of 23.9, and an average finish of 22.7. Now, these are solid numbers for an emerging team still finding its rhythm in a competitive field.

The tension between Martins and Williams was a rare glimpse into the emotional toll behind NASCAR’s smaller operations, where passion often runs just as hot as the engines.