Parker Retzlaff Bio
Parker Edward Retzlaff (born May 21, 2003) is an American professional stock car racing driver from Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Viking Motorsports. In addition, Retzlaff has made limited starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Cup Series, building a reputation as a young talent in the NASCAR ladder.
Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds, Retzlaff represents the new generation of short-track graduates working their way up through the national touring ranks. His career has moved quickly from local Wisconsin racing to national series competition, with steady improvement year by year.
Early Life and Background
Parker Edward Retzlaff was born on May 21, 2003, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where he still resides. Growing up in the northern part of the state, he was surrounded by a region with a strong tradition of short-track racing, and he began competing at a young age. His early exposure to race cars shaped his ambition to pursue motorsports as more than a hobby.
Retzlaff started his racing journey in 2012, when he was only nine years old, competing in the Wisconsin Junior Sprints. He won the mid-season championship in that series, an early sign of his potential. The following year, he moved into the Wisconsin Bandolero Series, finishing third in points, and in 2014 he won the series championship. From 2015 to 2016, he ranked second in state points, continuing to refine his skills at local tracks.
Path to NASCAR
In 2017, Retzlaff began stepping up to bigger machines, running full-time in the ARCA Midwest Tour, where he ranked fourteenth in points. He also placed second in the Midwest Truck Series asphalt trucks that same year, showing versatility across different styles of stock cars. In 2018, he finished sixth in the overall standings of the Midwest Truck Series, gaining valuable experience in heavier, more powerful vehicles.
By 2019, Retzlaff had attracted the attention of NASCAR development teams. He signed with Visconti Motorsports for two races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the predecessor to the ARCA Menards Series East. Driving the No. 74, he earned his first top-ten finish at Memphis International Raceway and his first top-five at Gateway Motorsports Park. He also made his K&N Pro Series West debut at the paired Gateway event, finishing fifth. These strong results confirmed his readiness for national series competition.
Parker Retzlaff Career
Early Career (2012–2020)
Retzlaff’s earliest competitive years were spent in Wisconsin, where he built a championship résumé in junior and entry-level divisions. After his 2014 Bandolero title, he transitioned to regional touring series, including the ARCA Midwest Tour and the Midwest Truck Series. These seasons gave him seat time on ovals of varying sizes and helped him adapt to cars with more power and tire wear.
In 2020, Retzlaff signed with Cook-Finley Racing to run a full ARCA Menards Series East schedule, driving the No. 42. He earned five top-ten finishes and one top-twenty, finishing fourth in the final standings. That same year, he made his ARCA Menards Series debut, with his best result being an eighth-place run at Toledo Speedway, laying the foundation for his move into NASCAR’s national touring series.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2022–2024)
On December 3, 2021, Retzlaff signed with RSS Racing for a part-time effort in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 38. At his first start, the 2022 United Rentals 200 at Phoenix, he qualified a strong sixth before a fuel pump issue ended his race early. He scored his best finish of the year with a tenth-place result at the 2022 ToyotaCare 250. Later in 2022, he parted ways with RSS Racing and drove the No. 02 for Our Motorsports at Texas in the fall.
On January 4, 2023, Jordan Anderson Racing announced that Retzlaff would drive their No. 31 car full-time in the Xfinity Series. He opened the season with a career-best fourth-place finish at Daytona. Across the year, he posted no wins, one top-five, and seven top-tens, with an average finish of 17.9, ending the season sixteenth in the standings. In 2024, he returned to Jordan Anderson Racing, scoring his and the team’s first career poles at Richmond and Martinsville, although he finished 21st in points with only four top-ten finishes.
Viking Motorsports Era (2025–Present)
After departing Jordan Anderson Racing in late 2024, Retzlaff signed with Alpha Prime Racing to drive the No. 4 Chevrolet for the 2025 Xfinity Series campaign. On April 19, 2025, he brought the No. 4 home in second place at Rockingham after the original winner was disqualified, setting a new career-best finish. Although he did not return to Alpha Prime Racing for 2026, on November 7, 2025, it was announced that he would join Viking Motorsports to drive the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro SS starting in 2026.
Through the 2025 Xfinity Series season, Retzlaff’s campaign has been a year of growth, highlighted by his Rockingham runner-up and consistent top-tier runs. His move to Viking Motorsports signals an important new chapter, pairing the young driver with a Chevrolet program and the established No. 99 team as he continues to chase his first national series victory.
Driving Style and Strengths
Retzlaff has shown a knack for qualifying well and producing strong runs on short tracks and intermediate ovals. His ability to qualify on the front row, including poles at Richmond and Martinsville, highlights his one-lap speed. He has also displayed smart race craft, picking up key positions late in runs, and has built a steady working relationship with his teams across multiple seasons.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Retzlaff’s signature moments is his fourth-place finish in the 2023 Xfinity Series opener at Daytona, his first career pole at Richmond in 2024, and his career-best second-place run at Rockingham in 2025. His seventh-place finish in the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona also stood out as one of the strongest Cup-level results of his career to date.
Parker Retzlaff Career Wins
As of the 2025 season, Retzlaff has not yet recorded a victory in any of NASCAR’s three national series. He has, however, built an impressive résumé of poles, top-fives, and top-tens across the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series platform. His progression through the ranks has been steady, with each season producing new career milestones.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
Retzlaff’s Xfinity Series career began in 2022 with RSS Racing, and he quickly moved to a full-time ride with Jordan Anderson Racing in 2023. Across the Xfinity Series, he has logged 23 top-ten finishes and 2 poles, with a best points result of sixteenth in 2023. His first pole came at Richmond in 2024, and his career-best finish of second place came at Rockingham in 2025, which currently stand as the high points of his Xfinity career.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the Xfinity Series, Retzlaff has made one start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Talladega in 2022 with Young’s Motorsports, finishing 98th in the season standings with no top-tens. In the ARCA Menards Series East, his best result was a fourth-place run in 2020 with Cook-Finley Racing, and he has also competed in the ARCA Menards Series West. Earlier in his career, he won the Wisconsin Junior Sprints mid-season championship in 2012 and the Wisconsin Bandolero Series title in 2014.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Parker Retzlaff Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Retzlaff grew up in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, a region known for producing skilled short-track racers. Publicly available details about his parents and any broader racing lineage within his family are limited, and most of what is known about his early development comes from his own statements about competing at Wisconsin tracks from a very young age.
Personal Life
Retzlaff currently lives in his hometown of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He is a fan of NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson and enjoys playing basketball, working on race cars, and occasionally racing on his iRacing simulator in his free time.
2025 Season Performance
Retzlaff’s 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season has been defined by steady progress and a breakthrough runner-up finish. Driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Alpha Prime Racing, he has recorded multiple top-ten runs and a best result of second place at Rockingham, which came after post-race inspection altered the original finishing order. He has continued to show strong qualifying pace, although he has not yet broken through for his first national series win.
Through the 2025 campaign, Retzlaff has not announced a permanent crew chief partnership in available reports, and the team has relied on consistency to chase playoff eligibility. While a win has remained just out of reach, his average finishes have trended in a positive direction, and his Rockingham result signaled that the team is capable of contending for victories on any given weekend.
Looking ahead, Retzlaff has already secured his 2026 plans, joining Viking Motorsports to drive the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro SS. That move provides stability and a fresh opportunity to compete for wins and a playoff berth. With momentum from the second half of 2025 and a confirmed ride for the following season, Retzlaff’s short-term outlook is one of continued growth as he works toward his first NASCAR national series victory.
