NASCAR driver returning to Cup for first time in two years

Anthony Alfredo has not competed in a NASCAR Cup Series race since 2021, but that is set to change this weekend at Richmond Raceway.

For the second consecutive week and the second time overall in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Live Fast Motorsports team co-owner B.J. McLeod will not be behind the wheel of the No. 78 Chevrolet in this coming Sunday afternoon’s race at Richmond Raceway.

Instead, Anthony Alfredo is set to drive the car in this 400-lap Toyota Owners 400 at the four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) Richmond, Virginia oval, marking his first Cup Series start since 2021.

Alfredo currently competes full-time for McLeod’s Xfinity Series team, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, and he sits in 14th place in the point standings with five top 20 finishes in six races.

The 2023 season is Alfredo’s third consecutive season with a full-time ride in NASCAR after competing part-time in the Xfinity Series for Richard Childress Racing in 2020.

He competed full-time for Front Row Motorsports in the Cup Series in 2021 and full-time for Our Motorsports in the Xfinity Series in 2022.

Anthony Alfredo has not competed in any NASCAR Cup Series races since the 2021 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Alfredo, whose career-best Cup Series finish is a 10th place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, is also set to drive the No. 78 Chevrolet in one additional race this year, though the location of that second start has not yet been confirmed by the organization.

Alfredo’s first start also officially marks an under-the-radar change in approach for Live Fast Motorsports. Aside from the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, McLeod has been the team’s only driver in oval races since they joined the Cup Series back in 2021.

The Toyota Owners 400 is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Richmond Raceway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, April 2, so start a free trial of FuboTV now if you haven’t already!