DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR announced the disqualification of Beard Motorsports and driver Anthony Alfredo following the Duel qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway due to a failed post-race inspection. This ruling, issued on Thursday night, immediately removed Alfredo from contention in the 2024 Daytona 500.
Inspection Details Reveal Cooling Hose Violation
Brad Moran, Cup Series Managing Director, explained to media that the No. 62 Chevrolet did not pass inspection because of a problem involving a transmission cooling hose. According to Moran, the hose was disconnected in a way that compromised the car’s airflow and cooling system, which is critical during superspeedway events like Daytona.
“During inspection, we noticed this hose, which is a transmission cooling transaxle cooling hose,”
Moran said.
“Comes off of the right side quarter window, and it’s supposed to go into the transaxle cooler. It needs to be airtight, needs to be fastened. We have many 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. Unfortunately this one piece wasn’t on the right side. There was also another hose disconnected for driving cooling, which affects airflow. Superspeedway, we all know the importance of that.”
Disqualification Impact and Replacement of Driver
Since the Duel event counts as a qualifying race, the disqualification could not be appealed. This decision pushed Alfredo to the back of the field, effectively ending his chances of making it into the Daytona 500 lineup. Following the inspection, BJ McLeod and his team, Live Fast Motorsports, advanced into the race grid as they passed inspection successfully.
“It’s unfortunate. It was during the qualifying race, which we consider qualifying per our rule book. It was similar to the 4’s time being disallowed. In this case here, with it being a qualifying race, he was put to the back of the field, which would take him out of the 500.”
Technical Details on Hose Attachment and NASCAR’s Stance
Moran pointed out that teams usually attach hoses with various methods, including tape and rivets. Beard Motorsports relied solely on tape, which failed to hold up through the 60-lap race. Although NASCAR does not suspect any deliberate wrongdoing from the small team, the rules demand strict compliance regardless of intent.
Significance and Next Steps for Teams at Daytona
The disqualification of Beard Motorsports signals the high level of scrutiny teams face during the Daytona qualifying events and underlines NASCAR’s commitment to maintaining rules consistency, especially in superspeedway racing. This incident not only reshuffles the starting lineup but also emphasizes the critical importance of adherence to technical standards under pressure. Moving forward, teams are likely to be even more cautious about equipment compliance to avoid similar setbacks before the Daytona 500.
NEWS: With the No. 62's finishing position in Duel 2 disallowed following post-race inspection, @bjmcleod78 now joins @CJMearsGang as the remaining two open cars to qualify for the #DAYTONA500. pic.twitter.com/ugYSFL1AmJ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 13, 2026
