Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 17, 2024) – Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse team travel to the Heart for NASCAR’s first visit to the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

In four previous Cup starts at the 2.66-mile track, Gilliland has three top-12 finishes. Gilliland has shown much speed this year on superspeedways, leading laps at both the Daytona 500 (16) and at the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway (58) for a combined 74 laps lead. Gilliland has also proven to his fellow competitors that he can be trusted as a drafting partner at the superspeedway speeds.

The Cup Series will have qualifying only on Saturday, April 20th at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1. The 500-mile event will take place Sunday, April 21st at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FOX. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Motor Racing Network.

No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“This is a big weekend. Talladega, like any other superspeedway race, is all about surviving and being there in the end. We’ve brought speed to Daytona and Atlanta and we plan on bringing it to Talladega as well. Ryan (Bergenty) and the team have worked all week getting this Ford Mustang Dark Horse ready, I just have to execute and hit my marks.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“This weekend is big for Todd and Front Row Motorsports. Todd has shown much maturity on these superpeedways, the proof is there, we just need to be there in the end. We’re bringing a fast Ford Mustang Dark Horse as usual, Todd just needs to qualify up front and stay out of the chaos. I’m confident we can do that.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 17, 2024) – Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse team head to the 2.66 mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend for NASCAR’s first of two visits to the track.

Talladega has been a great track statistically for McDowell and Front Row Motorsports. For McDowell he has three top-5s and four top-10s in 26 starts, including a third-place finish in the fall of 2022. For FRM, the organization has six top-5s and 20 top-10s, including the historic 1-2 finish with David Ragan and David Gilliand in the 2013 spring race.

McDowell and the No. 34 team will once again have Love’s Travel Stops and their truck care partner, Chevron Delo, racing with them this weekend. Chevron Delo is the maker of top performing heavy duty engine oils, coolants, antifreezes, transmission fluids, gear oils, greases and hydraulic oils.

The Cup Series will have qualifying only on Saturday, April 20th at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1. The 500-mile event will take place Sunday, April 21st at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FOX. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Motor Racing Network.

No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Delo Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“This weekend is a big one for us. We want to take advantage of it. It’s going to be a real fight for these playoffs spots now throughout the summer. Every race will matter. We have a good chance at Talladega. It’s just a matter of executing, putting ourselves in the right position at the end and being there on the final lap.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“I feel like we have learned a lot about this car to run up front, we’ve showed we have speed at the superspeedways. At the same time, you never know what you will get out of races at Talladega. We just need to keep out of trouble and position ourselves well for the stage ends and race finish.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

JOSH BERRY
Talladega Advance
No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 21
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Josh Berry and the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse will take on the high-banked, 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway during Sunday’s Geico 500. The 33-year-old native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, has raced twice during the Cup Series’ NextGen era at Talladega’s sister track, the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway oval. His first outing at “The World Center of Racing” came with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and resulted in a 22nd-place finish last August. He then kicked off his official Cup Series rookie season in the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing in February’s 66th running of the Daytona 500. Berry held his position in the lead pack until he was spun on pit road, which relegated him to the tail of the field and out of the draft. He finished 25th.

● Berry has experience at Talladega in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning one top-five finish, two top-10s and an average starting position of 10.1 in five starts there with JR Motorsports. Best of his Xfinity Series outings at Talladega was his fifth-place finish from the seventh starting position in the October 2022 race. After finishing 10th in Stage 2, he deftly maneuvered the draft lanes to score a solid top-five.

● Crew chief Rodney Childers will call the shots for the No. 4 team Sunday, which will mark his 35th career Talladega start atop the pit box in NASCAR’s premier series. In his previous 34 races, Childers’ drivers garnered four top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, an average starting position of 18.3 and an average finish of 17.1. His drivers failed to finish just five of those 34 Talladega races and completed 6,160 (95.1 percent) of a possible 6,478 laps.

● After last Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, Berry and the No. 4 team stand second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 22 markers behind Carson Hocevar. Berry is 26th overall in the driver standings.

● ​Overstock.com is back on board the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend at Talladega, donning the metallic red and white scheme seen earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The partnership coincides with the recent relaunch of Overstock.com, home of crazy good deals that offer quality and style for less. Overstock.com is for the savvy shopper who loves the thrill of the hunt, and it includes product categories customers know and love, like patio furniture, home furniture and area rugs, while reintroducing jewelry, watches and health-and-beauty products.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

How does the chemistry you have built with your teammates off the track help you at a place like Talladega Superspeedway?

“Having good chemistry with your teammates is a really important part of speedway racing, especially on green-flag pit stops. Being able to trust each other and lean on each other to get back up to speed is really important to staying competitive. On track, it can be challenging to stay together, but being able to help each other off pit road is crucial.”

You worked well with your spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, at Daytona earlier this year and managed to maneuver through the field in your first superspeedway race with him. Since then, you’ve had more time to work together and learn each other’s language. How does that change your confidence heading into the weekend?

“Continuing to work with Eddie and just keep having clear communication is a huge help, not just on speedway races, but across all events we will run together. But I feel like I have also become more comfortable in the car with how it feels, using the mirrors, rearview camera and the visuals in the car, which helps me make the moves I need when I need them. Eddie is my eye in the sky and can see things developing in front where I don’t have the vision, so with all of those pieces coming together, I feel comfortable heading to Talladega. We aren’t going to make any changes to our processes because it’s a different track – we all feel really encouraged by the direction we are heading in, and the results will start to come as the season goes on.”

Talk about the precision superspeedway racing takes, and how difficult it is to navigate the field when you’re in the pack.

“Speedway racing is such a unique style of racing and it’s hard. But the same guys manage to be in the front of the field at these tracks and they don’t get there by mistake. Those guys have the experience and the knowledge of how to maneuver the car where they need it to be up front, and that is an important part of it. For me, continuing to build on my experience and mental notebook is a focus of mine. You have to have a strong car, but one that handles well – one that can push and be pushed and execute the strategy to have a shot at the end.”

How do you rebound from a frustrating weekend in Texas, where you had a good car and a chance to be in contention?

“The biggest thing I focus on is just the consistency and preparation each week to get back on track. You are going to face some tough weekends and you just have to trust the process. I know that if I do the right things long enough, the results will come. We have had fact racecars and we missed out on a lot of opportunities to get some really solid finishes, so I think we are just really focused on trying to eliminate those mistakes and make it to the end of the race, and we know the results we deserve will start to fall in place.”

No. 4 Overstock.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mason Flynt

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

• In 16 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Spire Motorsports has led five laps, logged one top-five and five top-15 finishes with seven different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevy Camaro earned a team-best fourth-place finish last October in the Yellawood 500. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, and fellow drivers Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The GEICO 500 from Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, April 21, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 10th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR RaceDay’s pre-race coverage on FOX will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Corey LaJoie heads to Talladega Superspeedway behind the wheel of the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
• Lajoie started 23rd and finished 22nd last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”), a Group 1001 company, is an insurtech which strives to offer products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Gainbridge’s digital-first distribution model underpins its mission to reach all communities, including those that have been historically underserved by the national financial system.
• Sunday’s GEICO 500 will mark LaJoie’s 13th NCS start at Talladega Superspeedway and 246th career NCS start.
• In 12 previous NCS starts at Talladega Superspeedway, LaJoie has logged one top-five, two top-10 and four top-15 finishes, The Concord, N.C. native recorded a 32.4 average start, a 20.3 average finish and completed 2,053 of 2,219 laps contested (92.5 percent).
• Last October, LaJoie started 36th and raced his way to a fourth-place finish in the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
You’ve had Talladega circled on your calendar since last October. After a tough stretch of races, you’ve got to be eager to see the green flag on Sunday.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the Gainbridge Chevrolet this weekend. We’re looking to keep up the momentum we’ve had on superspeedways, so it’s time to shake that monkey off our backs and put together a solid finish like we all know our team is capable of.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Zane Smith will make his 10th start of the 2024 NCS season Sunday driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway.
• Smith arrives at the 2.66-mile, Alabama track after Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway where he raced in the top five for more than 30 laps before a late-race accident left him with a 26th-place finish. He also finished fifth in Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race at TMS.
• Sunday will mark his second start at Talladega in a NCS race. In April 2023, driving the No. 38, he finished 35th after he was collected in a late-race accident. Smith owns four NCTS starts at Talladega.
• For the seventh time in 2024, Focused Health will serve as the primary sponsor for Smith’s No. 71 Chevy Camaro. The blue and orange paint scheme represents a health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space.
• Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
• Smith will be a guest at Clint Bowyer’s “The Big Show on the Boulevard” on Friday at 8 p.m. CT.

Zane Smith Quotes
How do you feel after that great run at Texas Motor Speedway?
“I told my team that was the best car we’ve had all year. It’s a bummer that the result doesn’t match the day that we had. It felt great to run and compete in the top five for part of the race and it was just a solid day, in general. Unfortunately, we were on the other side of luck during that late restart. Overall, I’m super proud of my team. That was the boost we needed. I’m looking forward to Talladega.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Sunday’s Geico 500 will mark Carson Hocevar’s second career NCS start at Talladega Superspeedway. Zeigler Automotive Group will serve as the primary sponsor aboard the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
• Hocevar secured his first career top-10 finish in NASCAR’s premier division last week at Texas Motor Speedway. After qualifying 16th, the 21-year-old racer worked his way through the field to bring home Spire Motorsports first top-10 NCS finish on a non-drafting oval.
• Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all the domestic and the majority of the imported manufacturers. Founded in 1975, the organization employs over 2,500 people, ranking among the top one percent of automotive dealers in the nation with estimated annual sales of $2.2 billion for 2023. The family-owned and -operated company is well known for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Zeigler is regularly recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation, also earning similar accolades in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Michigan. Besides these prestigious accolades, Zeigler is also one of Glassdoor’s 100 Best Places to Work in the U.S. for 2024, and among Glassdoor’s top 10 U.S. companies for work-life balance.
• In his lone NCS start at Talladega Superspeedway, Hocevar started 38th and finished 35th after an on-track incident ended his day on Lap 161.
• In three NCTS starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Hocevar has logged a 5.3 average start and a 21.3 average finish. He led 17 laps and completed 91.5 percent of the laps contested.
• Hocevar leads the NCS Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings and is currently 22nd in the division’s championship points. Over the course of the season’s first nine races, Hocevar has notched one top-10 and three top-15 finishes.
• In the past seven races, Hocevar has earned an average finish of 19 and completed 2,240 of 2,245 laps (99.8 percent).
• The Portage, Mich., driver logged four NCTS wins in 2023 and finished third in the series’ championship point standings.
• Hocevar will also be a guest at Clint Bowyer’s “The Big Show on the Boulevard” on Friday at 8 p.m. CT.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
What is the key to a good day at Talladega?
“Of course, the thing is just surviving to the end. I felt like we did a good job with that in Texas and with the Duels at Daytona. Obviously, the Daytona 500 was a different story but I feel like we did everything we possibly could there. I am going try to be a good citizen and help people when I can and, hopefully, people will help me out when they can. We just want to be on the right end of it at the end of the race.”
How do you feel going into this week’s race after your first top-10 finish?
“I feel pretty good. I wish we could take advantage of the metric for qualifying and be able to qualify later, but Talladega is obviously a little different. I am excited to build on that finish and have some positive momentum, especially with Zeigler Auto Group coming on for their first full primary of the year.”

From the Top of the Box

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
• Sparks, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, has been paired with LaJoie since 2020.
• Combined, Sparks and LaJoie have earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish in the 2024 Daytona 500.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Stephen Doran begins his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team during the 2024 season.
• In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
• Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar
• The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
• In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on March 1, 2024, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

ANTHONY ALFREDO
GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
No. 62 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet Camaro

Event Overview

● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 21
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● State Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Bringing it Back. Beard Motorsports make its return engagement to the NASCAR Cup Series garage for Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. It will be the team’s second start of the 2024 season and 12th overall at the 2.66-mile superspeedway oval. The family-owned Beard Motorsports team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2017. While five different drivers have wheeled the No. 62 Chevrolet since its inaugural season, the team has become a regular during the superspeedway events during the last eight seasons.

● Fast Pasta Round Two. The latest of those five Beard drivers is Anthony Alfredo, who will be back this weekend at Talladega to pilot the No. 62 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet Camaro in Sunday’s GEICO 500. It is Alfredo’s first NASCAR Cup Series start since the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February. The Ridgefield, Connecticut, native made the starting field during qualifying with a fast No. 62 Beard Chevrolet. He lined up 40th to start the traditional season-opening race, avoided multiple accidents on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, and finished in 27th place. Alfredo gets his second shot behind the wheel of the No. 62 this weekend at a track that he considers a favorite.

● DUDE … it’s a mindset. Partnering with Beard Motorsports and Alfredo as the primary sponsor for this weekend’s 500-mile race at Talladega is DUDE Wipes. Founded in Chicago by a group of childhood friends, DUDE Wipes are an extra large, flushable wipe developed specifically for adults as an alternative to dry toilet paper. DUDE Wipes has become a popular brand across the NASCAR community and has appeared as a primary sponsor for select NASCAR Cup Series races with Alfredo in previous seasons. The GIECO 500 will be the first Cup Series appearance of the 2024 season for DUDE Wipes.

● Family Matters. The 2024 NASCAR season is Beard Motorsports’ eighth participating in the Cup Series. Linda Beard, along with her children, Amie Beard-Deja and Mark Beard Jr., carry on the pursuit of this passion project that belonged to their late family patriarch, Mark Beard Sr. The No. 62 NASCAR Cup Series team is just one of their family-owned entities. Beard Oil Distributing is the foundation of the Beard family-owned business portfolio and is recognized as a women-owned certified organization through the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

● This Guy Makes the Team Go ’Round. Alfredo may be the guy behind the wheel and making the No. 62 Beard Chevrolet Camaro go around the track, but crew chief Darren Shaw is the one who mans the ship for the No. 62 Beard Motorsports team. Shaw has led the competition efforts with Mark Beard Sr. for the No. 62 Beard Motorsports team since its inception in 2017. Shaw works hand-in-hand with the Beard family, hiring and managing members of the No. 62 team, negotiating with drivers, collaborating with the engine supplier, preparing the racecars and then running the show during race weekends.

● Powered for Greatness. As it always has, the No. 62 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet Camaro will be powered by an ECR-built engine. Beard Motorsports has leveraged the power of ECR Engines since making its NASCAR debut at the 2017 Daytona 500 and has made the most of the power supplied through the partnership. During its eight seasons of racing, Beard Motorsports has participated in 27 Cup Series events, scoring one top-five finish and five top-10s.

Anthony Alfredo, Driver of the No. 62 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet Camaro:

It’s been a couple of months since Daytona. What has it been like getting ready for Talladega this weekend?

“Talladega is actually one of my favorite racetracks, especially because it is a superspeedway. I love superspeedway racing. It’s just a high-speed chess match and I just really enjoy it. We’ve been close there a couple of times and I certainly believe we can get the job done there this weekend with this No. 62 DUDE Wipes Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. I’m doing double duty there with the Cup Car and the Xfinity car, so it’s going to be really fun – especially with DUDE Wipes.”

Speaking of DUDE Wipes, can you just talk about what it means to have them on board for this weekend’s race at Talladega?

“DUDE Wipes makes body and face wipes and they are the best. They are not just for ‘dudes.’ Dude is a mentality – they are for all adults. I actually met the DUDE Wipes guys when I first started my career in the national series and they have been nothing but a pleasure to work with. It has been super cool to see it come full circle now, attacking races in the Cup Series together. It started as just a one-race deal in the Xfinity Series and they are now my flagship sponsor. Having DUDE Wipes on the car at Talladega is awesome because it’s one of my favorite races and one I know we can win. There would be nothing sweeter than standing in victory lane with them at such a big race – a notorious racetrack. I’m very thankful for my relationship with them and we have a lot of great things on the horizon in the future.”

What has it been like working with the Beard family and the Beard Motorsports team?

“I have really enjoyed working with the Beard family and just getting to know all of them. Linda, Amie and Mark – they have been great to me and my wife. We had a really great time in Daytona and all the things we did in Florida. Obviously, timing into the Daytona 500 was a huge accomplishment for all of us. And we plan on being just as fast at Talladega, if not even faster. I know we have a car capable of winning, and when I strap into my No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro, that’s where my eyes are focused.”

How much more prepared are you for Talladega now that you have had one race with the No. 62 team and working with crew chief Darren Shaw?

“Any seat time with a team and a different crew chief is a plus. Building chemistry with the team during Daytona and even just leading up to that has been really pivotal. I think it’s going to give us a big advantage going into Talladega just because we kind of already attacked a race together and know where we all are at with our communication. So I expect the weekend to go smoothly and for us to know what we need to do to be in victory lane at the end.”

Daytona and Talladega are considered sister tracks, but they tend to drive differently. Will you explain those differences?

“To start with, Daytona is more of a handling track than Talladega. Talladega is also a lot wider and not quite as narrow, so I think it gives you more options behind the wheel to form a new lane or make moves without maybe being in as tight of racing situations as you would be at Daytona. I think that’s why we see a lot more comers and goers. It’s pretty hard to manage the lanes when you’re up front because they are coming from all different angles, but that’s what I actually enjoy the most.”

No. 62 Beard Motorsports Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Anthony Alfredo

Hometown: Connecticut

Crew Chief: Darren Shaw

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Travis Owens

Hometown: Nashville

Spotter: Ron Lewis

Hometown: Cleveland, Texas

President: Linda Beard

Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Tim Sheets

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Rear Tire Changer: David Mayo

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Damien Wermes

Hometown: Huntersville, North Carolina

Jack Man: DeAndre Smith

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Bobby Grant

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Jack Gagnon

Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Mechanic: Mark Sanders

Hometown: Springfield, Ohio

Tire Technician: Mike Harrold

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jason Watkins

Hometown: Ridgeway, Virginia

Interior Specialist: Nic Hill

Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida

Transporter Driver: Roger Lankford

Hometown: Lexington, North Carolina

CLUB ENTRY LIST

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINTS STANDING: 20TH

ERIK JONES
POINTS STANDING: 19TH

CLUB NOTES

Bayne’s race previews: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB launched a new social media series with driver optimization leader Trevor Bayne. Bayne previews the keys to the upcoming races for LEGACY M.C. drivers, allowing fans and media members to hear the teams’ objectives for the upcoming weekend. Follow LEGACY M.C.’s social channels for these weekly previews.

A day with the Guard: As an opportunity presented by Talladega Superspeedway, Erik Jones will have the unique opportunity to join the Alabama National Guard for a day of events. Jones and a handful of other drivers will be picked up in a Blackhawk helicopter piloted by the 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment, and travel to the Clarke Range Complex for a day of activities led by the Alabama National Guard.

Quality seat time: Although a 29th place finish wasn’t the result LEGACY M.C. co-owner and driver Jimmie Johnson along with crew chief Jason Burdett had hoped for. Regardless, they were very happy with the fact Johnson completed a full event in the NextGen car – something he had not been able to do in the four NASCAR Cup Series races he has entered since the 2023 season began. Johnson was able to gain valuable seat time in the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE despite a crash in practice and a spin on Lap 50 during the 400-mile event. He will get another chance in just two weeks as Johnson is on tap for competition at Dover Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and then Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Four-wide thriller at Talladega: Johnson also was the benefactor of one of the closest races in NASCAR history as he won a four-wide thriller on April 17, 2011, edging now NASCAR on FOX broadcaster Clint Bowyer by 0.002 seconds at the finish. The record is tied for the closest finish in history with the 2003 Ricky Craven win over Kurt Busch at Darlington Raceway. Johnson has another win at Talladega in 2006, along with seven top-fives and 13 top-10’s, leading 474 laps throughout his 38 starts.

Family Dollar Gold Star: Family Dollar will honor Lincoln, Ala., store #12608 this weekend as a part of the company’s “Go For G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar primaries will highlight these stores on the deck lid of all three LEGACY M.C. entries throughout the race season. This weekend’s Gold Star is featured on the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE.

Getting it done at ‘Dega: During his rookie year in the NASCAR Cup Series (2020), John Hunter Nemechek found comfort in the high banking of Talladega Superspeedway at both events, earning a pair of eighth-place finishes. So far this season, Nemechek finished sixth at the season-opener DAYTONA 500 and 21st in Atlanta. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series Nemechek has four starts where he qualified in the top-15 for every event and compiled two top-10 finishes. In the Truck Series, Nemechek has seven starts, one pole position, 31 laps led, one top-five, and two top-10 finishes.

JH goes to school: Last week, on behalf of Talladega Superspeedway, Nemechek took an early trip to Birmingham, Ala., on his way to Texas to spend time with 4th and 5th grade classes at Irondale Community School. He spoke with students about the speed of Talladega, safety, STEM-related topics, and all things NASCAR.

Superspeedy: Jones has 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2.66-mile track of Talladega Superspeedway, resulting in two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Jones has finished in the top 10 in four of his last five races and has led 80 laps, leading in eight of his last ten races. Jones also has three Xfinity Series starts and two Truck Series starts. During his Xfinity time, Jones had never started outside of the top 10, bringing home one top-five in 2017, where he led five laps. In the Truck Series, Jones holds an average start of 4.5 and an average finish of 5.0; the 2015 Truck Series Champion has led seven laps, earning one top-five and one top-10 finish.

Kenseth to be honored: LEGACY M.C.’s competition advisor Matt Kenseth will be inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 20 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center in downtown Milwaukee. Kenseth, who was part of the 2023 NASCAR Hall of Fame class, will be inducted along with Milwaukee Brewers All-Star and Silver Slugger Award Winner Prince Fielder and 2021 Ryder Cup Captain and Champion Steve Stricker. This is the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame’s 74th Anniversary Induction Ceremony.

CLUB QUOTES

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:

“Every week it’s been a learning week for me. Each week is a test, learning this car and how to perfect how to drive it. At Talladega, it’s a little hard to go forward and the field bunches up to three by three by three for ten rows. It’s about positioning yourself for that final push to the finish and doing what we did at Daytona, working with our teammates and racing smart.”

Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:

“Talladega is just about surviving. As a whole LEGACY M.C. was good at Daytona in race conditions so it’s going to be about being at the right place at the right time and trying to put yourself in a good position late in the race to either miss the big wreck or have track position.”

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

Talk about the team’s superspeedway package and how you can find success at Talladega.

“I think our superspeedway stuff has been good; in Daytona, we ended up seventh. We had an opportunity at the end to contend, but the lines didn’t really play out the way we needed, and we weren’t able to challenge for the win in the last few laps. I like superspeedway racing; Talladega has been a really good superspeedway race for us in the last couple of years. For whatever reason, we have been in contention for wins there. We have been really close but also given away some close ones. I would love to close one out there; I feel like I have been in the right place and haven’t done the right things at times or had the right pushes work out. So hopefully, we can seal that deal finally and come home with one.”

Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

Talk about how the unpredictability of Talladega can change your strategy throughout the race.

“Talladega is challenging from a strategy standpoint. Obviously, there will be a lot of fuel saving going on. You want to maximize your stage points and maximize your finish throughout the day, it is difficult to figure out how to call the race correctly until you know where the cautions are going to lie. Any caution can completely change what you have going on, either putting you in a better or worse situation. So, it is a fun race to call because of that unpredictability that causes you to change your strategy mid-stride. It is a lot of fun to figure out how to get the stage points and get the win.”

PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at race tracks across the country.

‘Dega debuts: Ritchie Petty, son of Maurice Petty made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway on May 2, 1993. Ritchie drove the No. 53 owned by his father in four races throughout his career, all taking place at either Talladega Superspeedway or Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, Kyle Petty made his first NASCAR Cup Series start driving the No. 42 in the 1979 Talladega 500 where he finished ninth, just five spots behind his father Richard who drove the infamous No. 43 to a fourth-place finish.

The King’s Hat: This week’s rendition of The King’s Hat will be located at the infield fan zone at Talladega Superspeedway. Please visit LEGACY M.C.’s X (formerly Twitter) account for more details.

BROADCAST INFO

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, APRIL 21ST | 3:00 PM ET

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

ABOUT AdventHealth:With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 90,000 team members across hundreds of care sites including physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health agencies and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and commitment to making communities healthier unify the system’s more than 50 hospital campuses in diverse markets throughout nine states. For more information about AdventHealth, visit www.AdventHealth.com/News

ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme-E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as Club Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.