It’s been a nightmare Speedweeks for Anthony Alfredo.
The Ridgefield, Connecticut-native arrived in Daytona Beach, Florida this week with intentions to run both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Cup Series events at Daytona International Speedway, but on Thursday, things started unraveling quickly.
Piloting the No. 62 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports, Alfredo was actually successful in qualifying his way into the DAYTONA 500, after being the highest-finishing Open Entry in his America 250 Florida Duel… that was until he got disqualified for an improperly secured cooling hose.
With that devastating snub on the brain, Alfredo got himself out of bed early on Friday morning to hit the track in the No. 96 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet for Viking Motorsports, a new second entry for the organization. Surprisingly, despite an ECR Engine in the No. 96 and an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, who swept the front row for the event, Alfredo failed to qualify.
Once it was official that the No. 96 Chevrolet Camaro wouldn’t be in Saturday’s United Rentals 300, Viking Motorsports and Anthony Alfredo went to work, talking to other teams to see if they could find the veteran NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver a spot in the season-opener.
Alfredo and Viking Motorsports landed on Alpha Prime Racing, and Alfredo, a strong superspeedway racer in his own right, will replace Caesar Bacarella behind the wheel of the No. 4 Prime Bites Rice Treats Chevrolet in the 300-mile contest on Saturday.
DUDE Wipes will have some sponsorship presence on the No. 4 for Saturday’s event, but Prime Bites will remain the primary sponsor of the vehicle, the team tells TobyChristie.com’s on-site photographer, Grady Lundberg.
The United Rentals 300 will take place on Saturday, February 14 at 5:00 PM ET on The CW, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Alfredo, driving the No. 4 Chevrolet, will have to start at the rear of the field due to the driver change.
