Heartbreak for Anthony Alfredo as Daytona 500 Dream Ends with Disqualification

Daytona Beach, FL – The jubilant atmosphere surrounding Anthony Alfredo’s hard-fought entry into the prestigious 2026 Daytona 500 was abruptly shattered today as his No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet failed post-race technical inspection following Duel #2. The disqualification dashes the 26-year-old driver’s hopes of competing in NASCAR’s premier event for the third time in his career, leaving him and his dedicated team heading home early from Speedweeks.

Alfredo had secured his spot in the 65th running of the Daytona 500 by finishing a respectable 18th in Thursday night’s second Duel race, outdueling fellow contenders BJ McLeod and JJ Yeley. This achievement was particularly poignant for Alfredo, who had missed the 2025 Daytona 500 and expressed significant emotional investment in making this year’s race. His performance in the Duel, while not a victory, represented a crucial step in his season’s campaign, showcasing the team’s determination to contend at the sport’s highest level.

However, the post-race scrutiny revealed critical infractions that led to the disqualification. NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran addressed the media to clarify the situation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining parity and ensuring the safety and integrity of the competition.

"First of all, it’s unfortunate to be here," Moran stated. "For any small, open team, we don’t like to have these problems, but we do have to do our jobs and make sure there is parity amongst the field and also parity amongst people making the 500."

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The specific issue identified on Alfredo’s No. 62 Chevrolet involved a transmission cooling hose. Moran elaborated on the technical violation: "During inspection, we noticed this hose, which is a transmission cooling, transaxle cooling hose. It comes off at the right side quarter window and it’s supposed to go into the transaxle cooler. It needs to be air-tight and fastened. We make rules, as you all know, that no parts can fall off the car, for obvious reasons. We don’t say what the intent is, but these parts have to be fastened properly, and unfortunately, this one piece wasn’t on the right side. There was also another hose disconnected for driver cooling, which affects air flow for superspeedway racing. We all know the importance of that."

The revelation that these issues were not detected prior to the Duel race prompted further questions. Moran explained the inspection process: "Every car is inspected. We do safety inspections. We check the insides of the cars, the outside, we check the windows, the tightness, the flaps. So this certainly wasn’t sitting on the passenger floor when the car went through inspection. As far as, ‘do we know how it came off,’ no. We do know that after the 500-mile race, and like every other 500-mile race – or for that matter, any race – any car that goes through our inspection, all hoses are checked, brake hoses are checked, transaxle hoses are checked, driver cooling hoses are checked. And if anything is found like this during the season, it would be a DQ in the race. So, we’ve been consistent with that, and we always will be because there are some reasons why something like this could come loose or fall off."

Crucially, Alfredo and Beard Motorsports will not have the option to appeal the penalty. Moran clarified that the Duel races are considered an extension of qualifying, not a traditional race, thus falling under different procedural rules regarding appeals. This precedent aligns with situations like Noah Gragson’s qualifying lap infraction earlier in the week, where penalties incurred during qualifying sessions are final. "It would be kind of similar to, unfortunately, Noah Gragson the other day during qualifying. So it would take away the time, and all of our qualifying races are considered qualifying per our rulebook."

The disqualification means Alfredo will join other drivers who failed to qualify for the Daytona 500, including Corey LaJoie (RFK Racing), Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports), and JJ Yeley (NY Racing Team).

In the wake of the disqualification, BJ McLeod’s No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, which had also undergone post-race inspection, passed and will now take Alfredo’s starting position on the grid. This marks McLeod’s sixth potential start in the Daytona 500, his first since 2023, after failing to qualify in both 2024 and 2025.

The Beard Motorsports team released a statement expressing their disappointment and commitment to future improvement: "We are proud of our team and the work they put into this NASCAR program. Our intent is to make races, contend for wins, and race with integrity. We will review what happened and work to make sure we do not have these issues in the future. We are heartbroken for our entire team, our wonderful partners, and Anthony and his sweet family."

This setback follows a challenging week for Alfredo, who also experienced misfortune in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) season-opener. After failing to qualify for the NOAPS event with Viking Motorsports, he secured a ride with Alpha Prime in the No. 4 car for Saturday’s O’Reilly Series opener. Despite the difficult circumstances, Alfredo managed to bring the damaged car home in eleventh place, demonstrating resilience amidst a string of setbacks.

The Daytona Speedweeks are renowned for their unpredictable nature, often delivering both exhilarating triumphs and crushing disappointments. For Anthony Alfredo and Beard Motorsports, this year’s event concluded with the latter, serving as a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sport’s technical regulations. The team’s focus will now shift to regrouping and preparing for the remainder of the NASCAR Cup Series season, aiming to rebound from this early-season adversity.