Tommy Joe Martins

Thomas Joseph Martins (born December 7, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver and owner. He competes part-time in Asphalt Super Late Model competition, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro for Alpha Prime Racing.

Racing career

Martins began his racing career at the age of five in karting in his native Mississippi. After financial issues caused him to have to quit racing at the age of sixteen, he attended the University of Mississippi seeking a degree in journalism. During his sophomore year, he resumed competition, driving in Sports Car Club of America-sanctioned events.

Choosing to pursue a racing career, Martins joined Nashville-based Baker Curb Racing, then moved to family-owned Martins Motorsports to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, running five races between 2009 and 2011. After moving to the ARCA Racing Series on a limited basis, Martins returned to NASCAR in 2014, and planned to run the full Nationwide Series schedule. However, the plans fell apart, and Martins did not race in 2015. In 2016, Martins purchased the owner points of Billy Boat Motorsports' No. 15 truck with plans to run the full 2016 Truck schedule.

Martins ran his own No. 44 truck for the duration of the 2016 season. He ran twenty races, failed to qualify at Homestead-Miami Speedway and recorded a best finish of fifteenth at Michigan International Speedway; He also maintained a blog throughout the 2016 season chronicling his journey that gained notoriety within the NASCAR community. His largest blog post was about how the financial situation in NASCAR needed to change.

For 2017, Martins paired up with another family team, Brandonbilt Motorsports, to split the 2017 schedule in the 44 truck. At Daytona International Speedway, Martins was hired to drive the No. 99 Chevrolet for MDM Motorsports, where an early crash relegated him to last in the 32-truck field. Martins would be in the No. 44 truck next week, finishing 23rd at Atlanta. On April 14, 2017, it was announced that Martins would return to the Xfinity Series, bringing his family team to compete for nine races in the No. 45 Chevy. Despite initially planning to begin his schedule at Bristol Motor Speedway, the team withdrew from the weekend due to concern about rain canceling qualifying and preventing the team from attempting to make the race. Martins stepped away from the Truck team to focus on Xfinity and later moved to B. J. McLeod Motorsports to run a partial Xfinity schedule.

After running Martins Motorsports in collaboration with AM Racing and Faith Motorsports in 2017, Martins closed his Truck team and announced another partial Xfinity schedule with McLeod in 2018. He ran over half the schedule with McLeod in 2018, continuing to bring awareness to the performance divide that underfunded teams face; he compared the Xfinity Series to a sports car race with different classes of cars, with Cup-affiliated teams as prototypes and small teams like BJMM in the Grand Touring division.

With Vinnie Miller joining B. J. McLeod Motorsports for 2019 full-time, Martins said he would likely run fewer races than he did in 2018 for the team. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, Martins announced that he would leave BJMM for MBM Motorsports after the New Hampshire race for a partial slate in the back half of the 2019 Xfinity Series season. He estimated his MBM schedule at about six races, including all four road course races, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway. Citing more opportunities in the Xfinity Series and a chance to run in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with MBM, Martins implied that he held no ill feelings toward McLeod and instead thanked the team for the opportunities throughout his tenure with the team. He ran his first race for MBM at Watkins Glen International, driving the No. 66. On December 8, Martins announced he parted ways with MBM Motorsports. Later in the month on December 24, Martins revealed Martins Motorsports' return for the 2020 Xfinity season as he intended to commit to a full-time schedule.

After several issues in the first half of the 2020 season, including failing to qualify for the season opening race at Daytona, Martins claimed his first career Xfinity Series top-ten at Texas Motor Speedway in October.

On August 30, 2021, Martins confirmed a partnership with Caesar Bacarella to co-own Alpha Prime Racing, with Martins switching to a part-time schedule in 2022 to split the No. 44 with multiple drivers.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series NASCAR Xfinity Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 2014 Martins Motorsports 76 Ford DAY PHO35 LVS39 IOW36 INDDNQ IOW GLN MOH BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO HOM 35th 124 67 Dodge BRIDNQ CAL 76 TEX35 DAR30 RCH36 TAL14 CLT31 DOV35 MCHDNQ ROA31 KENDNQ DAYDNQ NHA CHI 67 Ford MCH38 2017 Martins Motorsports 45 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCHDNQ TAL CLT DOV 39th 90 B. J. McLeod Motorsports 78 Chevy POC29 MCH28 IOW11 DAY KEN NHA29 IND26 IOW27 GLN MOH BRI33 ROA DAR31 8 RCH29 CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 2018 DAY ATL33 LVS25 PHO27 CAL24 TEX BRI26 RCH23 CLT24 POC25 DAR22 PHO35 HOM26 31st 216 Toyota TAL18 DOV 78 Chevy MCH24 IOW32 CHI DAY KEN NHA20 IOW21 MOH19 BRI ROA IND27 LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX Toyota GLN40 2019 99 DAY ATL31 LVS PHO35 CAL20 TEX19 BRI26 RCH TAL DOV21 CLT POC MCH18 IOW CHI28 DAY KEN NHA25 IOW 28th 206 MBM Motorsports 66 Toyota GLN28 MOH18 ROA25 IND24 13 BRI31 DAR35 61 LVS25 RCH ROV35 DOV KAN TEX PHO17 HOM 2020 Martins Motorsports 44 Chevy DAYDNQ LVS32 CAL18 PHO28 DAR26 CLT24 BRI23 ATL22 HOM31 HOM20 TAL15 POC30 IRC35 KEN33 KEN27 TEX15 KAN18 ROA18 DRC13 DOV21 DOV15 DAY14 DAR26 RCH15 RCH26 BRI24 LVS22 TAL15 ROV27 KAN14 TEX10 MAR16 PHO34 20th 481 2021 DAY24 DRC24 HOM18 LVS15 PHO17 ATL18 MAR34 TAL11 DAR15 DOV20 COA35 CLT29 MOH39 TEX21 NSH20 POC20 ROA15 ATL16 NHA21 GLN19 IRC21 MCH19 DAY18 DAR37 RCH37 BRI23 LVS14 TAL18 ROV33 TEX18 KAN23 MAR40 PHO24 20th 497 2022 Alpha Prime Racing DAY24 CAL31 LVS PHO TEX14 TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 46th 87 45 ATL20 COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR17 TEX CLT PIR NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH GLN DAY B. J. McLeod Motorsports 5 Chevy DAR38 KAN BRI 2024 Alpha Prime Racing 45 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO COA RCH MAR TEX TAL DOV DAR CLT PIR SON IOW NHA NSH CSC POC IND MCH DAY DAR ATL GLN BRI KAN TAL13 ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 61st 24

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts Ref 2009 Martins Motorsports 44 Ford DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP22 NSH27 BRI CHI21 IOW GTW27 NHA LVS MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 46th 361 2011 Martins Motorsports 42 Ram DAY PHO DAR MAR NSH DOV CLT KAN TEX KEN IOW NSH IRP33 POC MCH BRI ATL CHI NHA KEN LVS TAL MAR TEX HOM 77th 11 2016 Martins Motorsports 44 Chevy DAY32 ATL25 MARQL† KAN32 DOV24 CLT25 TEX25 IOW30 GTW18 KEN26 ELD POC17 BRI31 MCH15 MSP19 CHI24 NHA21 LVS22 TAL16 MAR25 TEX31 PHO30 HOMDNQ 23rd 176 2017 MDM Motorsports 99 Chevy DAY32 91st 01 Martins Motorsports 44 Chevy ATL23 MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR 42 TEX32 PHO HOM† – Qualified but replaced by Austin Wayne Self.

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points Martins started the 2017 season running for Truck Series points but switched to the Xfinity Series starting at Richmond in April.

ARCA Racing Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Racing Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts Ref 2010 Tommy Joe Martins Racing 95 Ford DAY8 PBE SLM TEX TAL TOL POC MCH IOW MFD POC BLN NJE ISF CHI DSF TOL SLM KAN CAR 90th 190 2011 Martins Motorsports 42 Dodge DAY14 TAL SLM TOL NJE CHI POC MCH WIN BLN IOW IRP POC ISF MAD DSF SLM KAN TOL 112th 160

CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.) CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts Ref 2024 Martins Motorsports 44M Chevy SNM HCY AAS OCS ACE TCM23 LGY DOM CRW HCY NWS ACE WCS FLC SBO TCM NWS N/A 0

ASA STARS National Tour (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.) ASA STARS National Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts Ref 2023 Craig Martins 44 Chevy FIF MAD NWS HCY MLW AND WIR TOL WIN NSV15 75th 37