Alfredo, Beard Motorsports Team with Lil’ DUDE Wipes in Hopes of Playing Spoiler in the YellaWood 500
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (Oct. 15, 2025) – What exactly is a dude? Historically, it has been a term of endearment for referencing a man or boy in a casual, friendly way. In modern slang, the term has evolved to also be used as a means to imply that someone is cool, laid back and reliable. If reliability is a factor in earning the moniker of “dude,” then Beard Motorsports and Anthony Alfredo qualify.
When the NASCAR Cup Series makes its return engagement to the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend for the second of its two scheduled races there in 2025, Alfredo will be on hand with the No. 62 Lil’ DUDE Wipes Chevrolet fielded by the cool, laid-back and reliable Beard Motorsports team. While the NASCAR Playoffs and the implications that the YellaWood 500 will have on deciding the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship will lead the news cycle, Beard Motorsports and Alfredo are intent on stealing headlines. And if that collaboration’s previous outings at Talladega are any indication, the ability to play spoiler is strong.
Beard Motorsports has been a staple at Talladega since its maiden season in 2017. A selection of talented drivers have sat behind the wheel of the family-owned No. 62 Chevrolet, including Brendan Gaughan, Noah Gragson and Justin Allgaier. The passion project launched by the late Mark Beard Sr., nearly a decade ago has been sustained and amplified by his late wife Linda and children Amie Beard-Deja and Mark Beard Jr. With its collection of drivers that have driven for the team, it has been a part of 14 Cup Series races at Talladega. It is with Alfredo, however, that it has experienced its most successful outings at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
Racing acumen when it comes to the superspeedways has been important to Alfredo’s success, but his affinity for competing at NASCAR’s biggest oval has likely been an even more significant factor. While most drivers look forward to putting Talladega in the rearview mirror, Alfredo sees the opportunity and is highly motivated to seize it.
“Talladega is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “I have a really good track record there with top-five finishes in Xfinity, and multiple Cup Series top-10 finishes. I feel like I know what I need to do behind the wheel to execute, or to at least position myself to leverage the draft and make moves. From there, it’s a matter of seeing what happens. Sometimes all you can do is put yourself in position and hope that it works.
“Overall, though, I just love superspeedway racing,” he added. “It’s basically high-speed chess. That’s why I love it, but that’s also why it’s difficult. It’s fun because of the strategy and knowing when to be aggressive and when to be patient. Obviously, it can be very difficult to control the outcome of your race because so much can happen that’s out of your control – more so at those races than any other.”
Alfredo has a total of 42 starts in the Cup Series with five of those taking place at Talladega, featuring two top-10 finishes and three top-12s on the behemoth oval. In fact, the best finish on his Cup Series resume is the sixth-place result he earned for Beard Motorsports at Talladega in April 2024. He started 24th that day and led four laps en route to his top-six finish.
“We had an awesome car at Talladega last year,” Alfredo said. “I was able to drive to the front, lead laps, and we were there at the end but just kind of got boxed in as the laps wound down. I couldn’t do a lot to move around, especially when that third lane formed. I wanted to jump up to that lane but was trapped on the bottom. So I just pushed as hard as I could and, in typical Talladega Superspeedway racing fashion, things got a little crazy coming to the line. I yanked the No. 62 Chevrolet hard left, flew through the grass and was able to come across the finish line in sixth place.”
As impressive as that effort was last year, Alfredo’s performance at Talladega less than six months ago grabbed the attention of the NASCAR community. Thanks to an in-race strategy call by Beard Motorsports crew chief Darren Shaw, Alfredo was positioned at the front of the field for the start of the second stage in the April 27 Jack Link’s 500. Getting to the front is one thing, but staying there is another, and Alfredo did just that, keeping the field behind him for 19 laps before making a scheduled pit stop.
“It was awesome to lead the laps we led and run up front at Talladega in April,” Alfredo said. “It was important to show what we can do as a team and for me personally. I want to show everyone I deserve to be in a Cup car by going out there, throwing big blocks and controlling the lanes, but being smart and not doing anything egregious. I enjoyed being able to do out there and do that and it was important for Beard Motorsports. Linda and Amie (Beard) are the only female NASCAR team owners and I take a lot of pride in driving their racecar and honored to be trusted behind the wheel every time we go to a superspeedway.”
And for their part, Beard Motorsports complements Alfredo’s skill at Talladega. With power supplied by ECR engines, Beard Motorsports is observed as a stalwart at the superspeedways. The No. 62 Chevrolet team found success early at Talladega with Gaughan behind the wheel, earning an eighth-place finish in the track’s April 2019 race. The team has been a part of 33 NASCAR Cup Series races since 2017 and have finished in the top-10 seven times, all of which have occurred at Talladega and its sister track, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
“I think our race at Talladega in April is a big confidence boost for all of us – me and the team,” Alfredo said. “We have learned a lot together the last two seasons. I think we go into this weekend’s race with an even higher expectation because we know we can run up front and do the things we need to stay up front. And that is the goal – to get there and put ourselves in position to win the race.”
Sunday’s YellaWood 500 will be Alfredo’s second start of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. With Lil’ DUDE Wipes on the No. 62 Chevrolet and a little bit of luck, the 26-year-old only hopes he’s the dude who delivers once the checkered flag waves.
No. 62 Beard Motorsports Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Anthony Alfredo
Hometown: Ridgefield, Connecticut
Crew Chief: Darren Shaw
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Car Chief: Deandre Smith
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Spotter: Rick Carelli
Hometown: Arvada, Colorado
President: Linda Beard
Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
Over-The-Wall Members
Front Tire Changer: Caison Dillon
Hometown: North Carolina
Rear Tire Changer: Michael Johnson
Hometown: Wadesboro, North Carolina
Tire Carrier: Evan Clay
Hometown: Franklin, Louisiana
Jack Man: Joseph Moser
Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina
Fuel Man: James Kelley
Hometown: Luray, Virginia
Road Crew Members
Mechanic: Jack Gagnon
Hometown: Quebec, Canada
Front End Mechanic: Mark Sanders
Hometown: Springfield, Ohio
Tire Technician: Mike Harrold
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Interior Specialist: Nic Hill
Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida
Transporter Driver: Roger Lankford
Hometown: Lexington, North Carolina
