Alfredo & Young’s Hope To Shine In Atlanta Return

Anthony Alfredo (Matthew Thacker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

HAMPTON, Ga. – Anthony Alfredo and Young’s Motorsports have had the NASCAR Xfinity Series return to EchoPark Speedway circled on their respective calendars for the past four months.

Ever since the tour’s February trip to the 1.54-mile Georgia quad-oval, when Alfredo showed speed only to be collected in a late accident, the Ridgefield, Conn., native has wanted a shot at redemption.

He’ll have that chance Friday night during the Focused Health 250, chasing his long-awaited first Xfinity Series victory in his 135th start.

“I am pumped to return to EchoPark Speedway, because we had a really great car in the spring race there,” said Alfredo. “We unfortunately got taken out late in that race, so I plan to see this one through to the end and have a shot to win.”

In his prior eight appearances at the facility just south of the Atlanta metro area, Alfredo has two top-10 finishes, including a track-best mark of seventh in the 2024 spring race there while driving for Our Motorsports.

Though EchoPark Speedway is a drafting-style track, it’s a hybrid superspeedway when compared to the traditional superspeedways of Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, something that presents a unique challenge.

“Having track position and a good drafting partner will be important keys to getting to the front and ultimately staying there,” Alfredo explained. “The track will have a lot less grip and being toward the front will be even more important, since [the racing] should be more single-file and have less grooves to move around in.

“Tire wear will likely be more of an issue because of this as well. You’re going to have to manage a lot of variables, but I’m confident that Andrew Abbott (crew chief) and my team can help me do just that.”

Young’s Motorsports earned its best Atlanta finish as a team last year, when then-Xfinity Series rookie Leland Honeyman charged from 35th to 17th, showcasing an impressive rally from the rear of the field to a lead-lap finish.

Alfredo believes that if he can qualify solidly and work his way toward the front early on, he’ll be in the mix to pounce – maybe even for a victory – when the chips are down near the finish.

“I think there will be a few opportunities for strategizing track position or a tire advantage late in the race. That should play into our favor,” Alfredo noted. “A top 10 would be a great day for us at Atlanta. You never know what can happen there, so I have faith that if we stay out of trouble, we can be in legitimate contention at the end.

“From there, my spotter and I will just need to execute and see what happens.”

Entering Atlanta, Alfredo ranks 21st in the Xfinity Series regular season standings. He’s 138 points back of 12th-place Taylor Gray in the fight to qualify for the postseason.

Anthony Alfredo's new-look No. 42 Brand South Africa Chevrolet for EchoPark Speedway.

Alfredo will carry a new sponsor onboard his No. 42 Chevrolet Friday night in Atlanta, with Brand South Africa making its first appearance as a partner to Young’s Motorsports.

Brand South Africa is a South African government agency responsible for promoting the country's image domestically and internationally.

Its primary goal is to manage South Africa’s brand reputation, ensuring that the country is recognized for its strengths and attractiveness as a destination for investment, tourism and international cooperation.

Several Brand South Africa strategic partners are also supporting the team, including Brooklyn Biltong, Superformance LLC., 7th House, HERO (Healing the Environment, Regenerating Ourselves), The International Rhino Foundation and the Lekker Network.

Broadcast coverage of Friday night’s Focused Health 250 from Atlanta is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.