Beard Motorsports Overview
Beard Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. The organization was founded in 1982 by Mark Beard for competition in the NASCAR Busch Series and has since evolved into a respected part-time Cup Series contender. The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, and is currently owned by Linda Beard, Mark Beard Jr., and Annie Beard. Beard Motorsports operates primarily with the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and maintains a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing. The team has yet to secure a race victory in any of the three national series it has competed in, but has achieved several notable finishes including the team’s first top-five result in a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2022. The organization is known for its participation in superspeedway races and has developed a reputation for qualifying well and running competitive despite its limited schedule.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Mark Beard, owner of Beard Oil, established Beard Motorsports in 1982 with the intention of competing in the NASCAR Busch Series. During his driving career, Mark Beard raced for his own team as an owner-driver, first fielding the No. 16 Pontiac at the 1982 Goody’s 300 at Daytona where he finished 18th. In 1986, the team fielded the No. 38 Pontiac at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Mark behind the wheel, finishing 26th. These early years established the foundation of what would become a long-running family motorsports organization.
Throughout the 1990s, Beard Motorsports fielded the No. 00 car for various drivers including Gary Neice, Dana Patten, Bobby Dotter, L. D. Ottinger, Richard Lasater, Butch Miller, and Jim Brinkley Jr. The team continued to develop its operations and gain experience in regional and national series competition. Mark Beard’s business background in the oil industry provided the resources and stability necessary to maintain a racing program across multiple decades, even during challenging economic periods in motorsports.
Growth Into NASCAR Cup Series Competition
In 2009, Mark Beard revived Beard Motorsports and began racing in the ARCA Racing Series with driver Clay Rogers behind the No. 42 Chevrolet. The team acquired equipment from Hendrick Motorsports for this program, providing a technical foundation for future growth. The ARCA campaign helped the organization modernize its operations and prepare for a return to higher levels of competition. From 2011 to 2012, the team fielded the No. 45 and scored a best finish of fourth at Iowa Speedway with Clay Rogers driving.
Mark Beard founded the Cup Series program during the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The race team’s engine was built using old Hendrick Motorsports parts, and the organization conducted tests at various east coast tracks including New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The team entered the July race at Loudon but withdrew before attempting to qualify. They then attempted to qualify at Richmond International Raceway with Clay Rogers in the No. 75 Beard Oil Chevrolet but failed to make the field. The last attempt to qualify came at Phoenix International Raceway with Rogers, but the team was again unable to make the race. After these unsuccessful attempts, the team did not attempt any races in 2015 or 2016, temporarily ceasing Cup Series operations.
Beard Motorsports Competitive Journey
Beard Motorsports has progressed from a regional Busch Series team founded in 1982 to a part-time NASCAR Cup Series contender with technical alliances to top organizations. The team’s journey includes periods of dormancy, failed qualifying attempts, and eventual success at superspeedway tracks. Each era has brought incremental improvements in equipment, personnel, and competitive results, culminating in the team’s first top-five Cup Series finish in 2022.
Early Seasons and Development (1982-2016)
The organization’s early years were focused on Busch Series competition with Mark Beard both owning and driving for the team. This dual role allowed the Beards to understand all aspects of race team operations from the driver’s perspective. The 1990s saw the team develop relationships with various drivers and gain experience with different car configurations. These formative years built the organizational knowledge that would later support Cup Series competition.
The 2009 revival into ARCA marked a significant upgrade in equipment and technical capability. Partnering with Hendrick Motorsports for equipment acquisition brought the team into contact with world-class racing technology. The subsequent ARCA and Busch Series participation helped the organization refine its technical partnerships and prepare for the challenges of Cup Series competition. By the time the team was ready to attempt Cup Series races in 2014, it had accumulated decades of experience across multiple racing series.
Breakthrough in NASCAR Cup Series (2017-2023)
In 2017, Beard Motorsports announced it would enter the Daytona 500 with Brendan Gaughan in the No. 75 Beard Oil Chevrolet. Gaughan’s Richard Childress Racing Xfinity Series pit crew serviced the car, and the team used a Childress engine. The team also purchased a car from Leavine Family Racing, a Childress satellite team that had finished fifteenth in the previous year’s Daytona 500 with Michael McDowell. The team did not possess a NASCAR charter. As one of the two fastest non-charter cars in qualifying, Gaughan successfully made the field.
Gaughan secured an eleventh-place finish in the 2017 Daytona 500, the first Cup Series race for the team. The organization announced plans to enter the other three 2017 restrictor plate races. Gaughan returned at Talladega and finished 27th. In the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Gaughan drove the team car to a seventh-place finish despite hitting the wall during the race. At the Alabama 500 at Talladega, Gaughan led laps and finished seventeenth after avoiding one crash before being collected in another.
The team returned for the 2018 slate of restrictor plate races as the No. 62 with Brendan Gaughan behind the wheel and continued the same schedule in 2019, using cars from Richard Childress Racing, engines from ECR Engines, and technical support from the Childress crew. The 2020 season marked Gaughan’s final as driver. He made the field at the 2020 Daytona 500 by posting the second fastest qualifying speed of all non-charter teams at 188.945 mph, placing him 33rd overall. Gaughan’s tenure with the team and career concluded at the YellaWood 500 at Talladega where he finished 35th after being collected in a Stage 2 wreck.
On January 14, 2021, Beard Motorsports announced Noah Gragson would attempt to make his Cup debut in the Daytona 500. On January 31, just fourteen days before the 500, team owner Mark Beard died at age 72. The team returned for the 2022 season, entering the No. 62 in all four superspeedway races with Gragson. Gragson made his debut but failed to finish after being involved in a crash. He achieved sponsorship from Wendy’s for Talladega and earned his first top-twenty finish in a Cup Series race. At the August Daytona race, Gragson finished fifth, giving the team its first top-five finish in a NASCAR Cup Series race. The team attempted to make the 2023 Daytona 500 with Austin Hill but Hill failed to make the field after a late crash resulted in an eighteenth-place finish in Duel 2 of the Bluegreen Vacations Duels.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2024-Present)
For the 2024 season, Beard Motorsports signed Anthony Alfredo to drive the No. 62. Alfredo finished 27th at the 2024 Daytona 500 and scored a career-best sixth-place finish at Talladega. At the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400, Parker Retzlaff achieved an impressive seventh-place finish after pushing Harrison Burton to the lead under an overtime finish. The 2025 season saw Alfredo return to drive the No. 62 for multiple races. After failing to qualify for the Daytona 500, Alfredo showed strong performance at Talladega by leading nineteen laps before finishing 28th following the disqualifications of Joey Logano and Ryan Preece. On April 16, it was announced that Jesse Love would drive the No. 62 at Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 2026 season marked another chapter with Alfredo returning to drive the No. 62 for the Daytona 500. He failed to qualify on speed and had to race in the duels. He originally made it into the 500, finishing higher than B. J. McLeod and J. J. Yeley, but due to an issue with tech regarding cooling hoses not being secured, he was disqualified, which caused him to be denied entry to the 500.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Beard Motorsports has established itself as a competitive part-time program specializing in superspeedway races. The team’s primary strength lies in its ability to qualify well despite not having a full-time schedule or NASCAR charter. Technical alliances with Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines provide equipment and engineering support typically reserved for top-tier organizations. The team has demonstrated an ability to run at the front of the pack when given the opportunity, as evidenced by multiple top-ten finishes at Daytona and Talladega. The organization’s patient approach to scheduling and driver development has allowed it to remain competitive while managing costs associated with part-time Cup Series participation.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The most significant milestone in Beard Motorsports history came in August 2022 when Noah Gragson finished fifth at Daytona, giving the team its first top-five Cup Series finish. Other notable moments include Brendan Gaughan’s 2017 Daytona 500 debut that saw the team finish eleventh on its first attempt, and Mark Beard’s death in January 2021 which marked the end of an era for the family-owned organization. The 2024 season brought renewed competitiveness with Anthony Alfredo’s sixth-place finish at Talladega and Parker Retzlaff’s seventh-place run at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The team’s progression from failed qualifying attempts in 2014 to consistent top-ten contenders represents a remarkable transformation in competitive capability.
Beard Motorsports Achievements and Results
Beard Motorsports has compiled an impressive record of accomplishments despite its part-time schedule and lack of race victories. The organization has competed in 53 total races across the NASCAR Cup Series, Busch Series, and ARCA Racing Series. The team has achieved multiple top-ten finishes in Cup Series competition and has established itself as one of the stronger non-charter entries in the series. All three of the team’s championships and race victories remain at zero across all national series, but the organization has built a reputation for qualifying well and running competitive when entered.
NASCAR Cup Series Achievements
Beard Motorsports has competed in 35 Cup Series races, primarily focusing on superspeedway events at Daytona and Talladega. The team’s first Cup Series finish came at the 2017 Daytona 500 where Brendan Gaughan finished eleventh. The organization achieved its first top-five finish in August 2022 when Noah Gragson finished fifth at Daytona. Additional highlights include Gaughan’s seventh-place finish in the 2017 Coke Zero 400, Alfredo’s career-best sixth-place finish at Talladega in 2024, and Retzlaff’s seventh-place run at the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400. The team has demonstrated consistent ability to qualify for races despite not possessing a NASCAR charter.
ARCA Racing Series Achievements
Beard Motorsports has competed in seven ARCA Racing Series events since returning in 2009. The team scored a best finish of fourth at Iowa Speedway in 2012 with Clay Rogers driving the No. 45 entry. This ARCA program served as the technical foundation for the team’s later Cup Series expansion, providing experience with modern stock car equipment and race procedures. The organization’s ARCA results demonstrated competitive potential that translated into Cup Series performance.
