Beard Motorsports Overview
Beard Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Anthony Alfredo. The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, and fields a program focused on superspeedway events and part-time Cup entries while maintaining a small, family-led ownership structure.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Beard Motorsports was founded in 2009 by Mark Beard as a competition entry in the ARCA Menards Series. Mark Beard was the owner of Beard Oil and had an extended history as an owner-driver in ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Series; he built the team using equipment acquired from established operations and a shop in Mooresville to support early ARCA campaigns.
The ownership listed for the team includes Linda Beard, Mark Beard Jr., and Annie Beard. The organisation began as a compact operation with a focus on fielding entry-level stock cars and creating seat opportunities for drivers while leveraging used equipment and technical partnerships to remain competitive in part-time national series programs.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
Beard Motorsports moved toward NASCAR Cup Series competition with attempts in 2014 that used older equipment and tested at regional tracks, but the team failed to qualify in its early Cup attempts. After a period of inactivity in 2015 and 2016, the team returned to the Cup Series level in 2017 and focused on entry at high-profile superspeedway events, adapting its operational model to part-time competition supported by technical alliances.
To remain competitive without a NASCAR charter, Beard Motorsports relied on purchased chassis and technical support from larger teams. The team acquired cars from established Cup operations and sourced engines and pit-crew services through partnerships, allowing it to qualify for marquee events and to expand its Cup program on a part-time basis while preserving financial flexibility.
Beard Motorsports Competitive Journey
Beard Motorsports’ racing progression spans ARCA beginnings, sporadic Busch Series involvement under the Beard family banner, and a sustained, part-time presence in the NASCAR Cup Series focused on superspeedway races and select national events.
Early Seasons and Development (2009–2014)
The team’s first formal competition program began in the ARCA Racing Series in 2009. Early ARCA efforts used acquired equipment and ran under numbers including 42 and 45; the organization recorded a top ARCA result of fourth at Iowa Speedway during that period, demonstrating competitiveness in its initial development program.
Across the following years Mark Beard also fielded entries in NASCAR’s Busch Series and worked as an owner-driver and car owner for other drivers in regional and national events. These early seasons laid the operational groundwork for later Cup Series attempts, supplying the team with personnel, shop experience, and a pathway to step up into NASCAR’s top level.
Breakthrough in the NASCAR Cup Series (2014–2020)
Beard Motorsports first attempted Cup Series entries in 2014 with Clay Rogers but failed to qualify in multiple attempts. The team paused Cup activity in 2015 and 2016, then re-entered the Cup field part-time in 2017 with Brendan Gaughan. The 2017 Daytona 500 marked the team’s Cup debut when Gaughan qualified as one of the fastest non-charter cars and finished eleventh in the race.
Following that debut, Beard Motorsports concentrated on restrictor-plate and superspeedway events through 2019, often using cars purchased from satellite or allied teams and engines sourced through technical partners. Brendan Gaughan delivered periodic strong finishes for the small team, including a seventh-place result in the 2017 Coke Zero 400, illustrating the program’s ability to compete at superspeedways despite a limited schedule and resources.
Gaughan’s final season with the team was 2020, when he again qualified for the Daytona 500 as a non-charter entry. That campaign closed a key chapter of the team’s early Cup-era development while the organization continued to refine its approach to part-time Cup competition and partnerships.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2021–Present)
After the death of founder Mark Beard on January 31, 2021, the team continued under family ownership with Linda Beard, Mark Beard Jr., and Annie Beard listed as owners. Beard Motorsports returned for a multi-year superspeedway plan that included entries in the four traditional superspeedway Cup races each season and targeted experienced drivers capable of maximizing single-race performance.
From 2021 onward the team placed emphasis on technical alliances and customer equipment, regularly using chassis and engines provided or sourced from larger Cup operations. In recent seasons the organization has run drivers such as Noah Gragson, Brendan Gaughan, Austin Hill (attempt), Parker Retzlaff and Anthony Alfredo, and it fields the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with a focus on marquee races while maintaining a lean operational footprint.
Engineering Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The team’s technical identity centers on maximizing performance at superspeedways and plate-style events where drafting and strategy can level the playing field for smaller entrants. Beard Motorsports relies on proven customer chassis, engine partnerships, and pit-crew alliances to deliver competitive single-race results rather than a full-season development infrastructure.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Key moments include the team’s Cup debut at the 2017 Daytona 500 with an eleventh-place finish, a seventh-place run in the 2017 Coke Zero 400, the first top-five result with Noah Gragson’s fifth-place finish at the August Daytona race in 2022, and strong top-ten performances in 2024 including Anthony Alfredo’s sixth at Talladega and Parker Retzlaff’s seventh at the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400. The passing of founder Mark Beard in 2021 is a significant organizational milestone for the family-owned team.
Beard Motorsports Achievements and Results
Beard Motorsports has accumulated a modest record across national stock-car categories while operating as a part-time, family-run team. The organization’s verified totals include entries in ARCA, the NASCAR Busch/Xfinity level historically, and a series of part-time Cup campaigns that produced multiple strong superspeedway finishes but no race victories or championships to date.
Cup Series Achievements
In the NASCAR Cup Series Beard Motorsports made its debut at the 2017 Daytona 500 and has since focused on select superspeedway events. The team’s Cup highlights include an eleventh-place finish in the 2017 Daytona 500, a seventh place at the 2017 Coke Zero 400, a fifth-place finish at the August Daytona race in 2022, a sixth-place result by Anthony Alfredo at Talladega in 2024, and a seventh-place run at the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400. The team has not recorded Cup wins, poles, or championships.
Xfinity Series Achievements
Under the Beard family banner, the organization and its owner-driver history predate the modern Cup program with participation in the NASCAR Busch/Xfinity category across earlier decades. The wiki-sourced record lists 11 Busch Series races attributed to the Beard operation historically but does not record series championships or race victories for the team at that level.
Truck Series and Development Program Success
Beard Motorsports’ development footprint has been most visible in ARCA competition, where the team began operations in 2009 and recorded a best ARCA finish of fourth at Iowa Speedway. The ARCA program and selective Cup entries have served as a platform to provide drivers with national-series opportunities and to showcase the team’s capability to prepare competitive equipment for superspeedway competition.
Overall, Beard Motorsports remains a small, family-owned Cup Series team that pursues targeted race weekends, relies on technical partnerships to amplify its competitiveness, and seeks to deliver standout results at high-visibility superspeedway events.
