After winning 81 races across 28 countries last year, Ford very well proved its hold on the motorsports disciplines. Joey Logano even helped bring the third straight NASCAR Cup Series championship, adding to Ford’s dominance. But over at the Xfinity series, things haven’t been just as bright.

In 2025, only four teams fielded Fords in the series: Haas Factory Team, AM Racing, RSS Racing, and Joey Gase Motorsports. With about seven cars at any given weekend, only one of them managed to secure a win: Sam Mayer for HFT. However, in September, the team already decided to switch from Ford to Chevrolet, beginning in 2026.

But as per a new rumor, Ford might soon get an opportunity to fill in the space left behind by Haas. “RUMOR: Alpha Prime Racing is expected to switch to @FordRacing for the 2026 season,” ‘The Daily Downfords’ wrote on X.

The speculation circulating within the NASCAR ‘Silly Season’ mill posits that APR, currently fielding Chevrolet Camaros, could become a key beneficiary of Ford’s urgent need for a stronger, reliable presence in the Xfinity developmental ladder.

The primary catalyst to spark the conversation, of course, is HFT, which also announced a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports for the 2026 season. The loss of HFT, which inherited the Xfinity program from the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing and was Ford’s flagship Xfinity team, even winning the 2023 championship with Cole Custer, left Ford’s developmental program severely depleted.

Ford’s remaining Xfinity teams, such as RSS Racing and AM Racing, while capable, do not currently offer the consistent front-running performance or multi-car scale Ford desires for prospect development. This void creates a critical power vacuum and a unique, lucrative opportunity for a solid, multi-car Chevrolet team like APR to step in and immediately become one of Ford’s most resource-supported entries.

Previously, SS-GreenLight Racing switched from Chevrolet to Ford in 2022 to align with Stewart-Haas Racing, receiving not only Ford Mustangs but also SHR-supplied cars and Roush Yates Engines. It was a move designed to “raise their competitiveness to the next level,” as owner Bobby Dotter stated. So, APR would likely be seeking a similarly comprehensive technical alliance, potentially with an existing Ford powerhouse like RFK Racing or a newly incentivized Team Penske.

If true, it would be another huge step for a team that has been building on its competitiveness. Only two years ago, APR’s co-owners Tommy Joe Martins and Rodney Riessen were hoping to put themselves “in a position with the network of partners, sponsors and drivers where somebody is able to land a full-time opportunity.”

After a few years of alternating between drivers, they brought in Brennan Poole full-time for 2024 and 2025. He delivered, too. Racing No. 44 Chevrolet, he earned two top-5 finishes and five top-10 finishes this season.

That said, the team often operates on a tighter budget and utilizes customer engine programs that may not be on par with the highest-tier leases enjoyed by organizations like JR Motorsports. But Tommy Joe Martins has often been praised for his business acumen and passion for the sport, striving to do more with less.

By aligning with Ford, APR would likely gain a substantial injection of OEM funding, premium technical support, and potentially a pipeline for developing Ford prospects.

Poole, Martin, and team are in it to win. “We prepare every single week as if we’re here to win the race,” Poole said in July. And now, no excuses, budget or not. Bringing them on might as well be a relief for Ford, which saw its 2023 title winner switch to the rival. But for now, it’s all a mere rumor.