Alfredo Aiming To ‘Run It Back’ With Beards In Daytona 500

Anthony Alfredo during Daytona 500 Media Day Wednesday at the 500 Club. (Jacob Seelman/Race Face Digital photo)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Anthony Alfredo comes into Daytona Int’l Speedway brimming with confidence about his chances to make the 67th Daytona 500, and with good reason.

After all, his Beard Motorsports team brought the exact same No. 62 Chevrolet back to the World Center of Racing that timed in fastest among all open, non-chartered entries in last year’s Busch Light Pole Qualifying session at the 2.5-mile oval.

The Ridgefield, Conn., native must be among the top two ‘Open’ entries on single-lap qualifying speed – there are nine attempting this year’s Daytona 500 – to be guaranteed a place in the Great American Race come Sunday afternoon.

With that in mind, does Alfredo believe he’ll be one of the two drivers sleeping easier Wednesday night when time trials are wrapped up in a bow?

“I sure hope so,” he said during Daytona 500 Media Day Wednesday afternoon. “I feel very confident because of what we did here last year, and I think we are even better (as a team) than we were last year … but so does everybody else. Add to that, there are a few more open cars than there were last year, and they’re more competitive ones at that, so it is going to be tougher and it’s going to be really tight (as far as making the race on speed). We will just do all we can as far as putting the speed in the car, and then it's going to be up to me behind the wheel.

“It’s superspeedway qualifying and once you are up to speed, you just have to hang on and hope the thing runs,” he added.” We have got a good power plant from ECR Engines and everyone at Beard Motorsports has done a great job in preparing the car. This is the same car we brought here last year. It didn’t run any of the other three races that we did, so this is our Daytona 500 piece, and our pride and joy.

“I hope it pays off. We want to run it back from last year.”

Alfredo is back with the Beard family for a second straight year as he attempts to make his third Daytona 500 start. He was the “feel-good” story of last year’s field, locking in after qualifying in his first race with the family-owned and operated organization.

Though the end result wasn’t what either side hoped for, ending in a 27th-place finish after being tangled in a late crash, a sixth-place finish and four laps led later that spring at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway was enough to fuel the partnership further.

Should he make the field for Sunday’s 500-miler, it will be Alfredo’s fourth overall start with Beard Motorsports.

“Last year was a huge learning curve. It was my first time (having to qualify into the ‘500’) and it was certainly very stressful and nerve wracking, but we had a really fast car and it gave me a lot of confidence going into the race itself,” Alfredo reflected. “This year, we had a practice session before qualifying, so I feel like we do have a better gauge as to where we are speed-wise, although I’m not sure if that’s better or worse. I think it’s good to get a baseline on your car and have an idea of where you’re going to be. But the challenging part of it is the fact that everybody else had the same opportunity to make their cars faster, too.

“I’m confident in the speed we have off the truck and we haven’t made many adjustments, so hopefully we just lock ourselves into the show on speed like we did last year. But if it comes down to a Duel, it’s the same thing as the race – it’s got to be well executed,” he added. “It’s going to be more difficult than last year was because, instead of just racing one or two other guys in your Duel, it’s going to be four or five. I think it’s going to be a very exciting race, so our goal will be to execute well, get on and off pit road if there is a green-flag stop, and position ourselves well for the end of the Duel.

“One of (the twin qualifying races) is always crazy, so hopefully we’re not in that one. But I’m confident in the speed we have, especially after last year, and I think if we have that kind of pace again that we should be able to lock into the show (via qualifying).”

Though Alfredo ran a full NASCAR Cup Series season in 2021 with Front Row Motorsports, he’s spent the past three years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a driver that has helped to build up smaller teams – like Our Motorsports and, this year, Young’s Motorsports.

That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s not very aware of the opportunity that’s ahead of him to potentially make another Daytona 500 appearance, as well as contend in it this time around.

Anthony Alfredo in action during opening Daytona 500 practice Wednesday morning. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

“Making this race isn’t just about being in it; to me it’s about winning it, because that could be career defining,” Alfredo noted. “I am a young driver trying to make my way and I have been very fortunate to make it this far, but my ultimate goal would be to be the Cup Series champion one day. Maximizing the most out of these limited starts and a partial schedule is really important for that.

“I am just really thankful to have these opportunities because of Beard Motorsports and our partners (at) Fortified Building Solutions. Quite honestly, it has gone really well,” he continued. “The cars are really fast and … there are just a lot of great things to build on from last season. That momentum should help us execute at a higher level this year.”

At this moment, Alfredo doesn’t know when – or if – he’ll have another Cup Series opportunity, though he certainly hopes there are more to come.

That’s why he’s focused on the present moment and soaking each second in along the way.

“Obviously just being here at Daytona and having a shot to run in the Great American Race is a blessing,” Alfredo said. “I have been talking to a few people about how many people would do anything to have an opportunity to be here and just say that they attempted (the Daytona 500), let alone race. I have been blessed enough to run the race twice now and hope that third time is a charm.

“It’s going to be pretty intense tonight and tomorrow, either way, but I look forward to it because it’s going to be that much more rewarding qualifying into the race because of the field of open cars that are here this time around.”

Alfredo will qualify against the likes of Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr., four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, multi-time Xfinity Series winner Chandler Smith, reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier, and more for his shot to race in the 67th Daytona 500.

Busch Light Pole Qualifying for the Great American Race kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Should Alfredo have to race his way into the field, coverage of the Duels at Daytona is set for 7 p.m. ET Thursday night, also on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.