If things had gone according to plan, Beard Motorsports would be entering Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race with two starts already under their belt in 2026, one with Anthony Alfredo and another with Casey Mears behind the wheel of the No. 62 Chevrolet.
Instead, they're in the midst of their longest stretch without a Cup Series start since 2020 and 2021. After competing in the October 2020 race at Talladega Superspeewday, they did not run another race until the 2022 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, as they failed to qualify for the "Great American Race" in 2021.
This year, they actually initially qualified for the Daytona 500 via Alfredo's Duel result. However, he was penalized after his Duel race, which resulted in him being removed from the 41-car starting field entirely.
The team returned at Talladega with Mears behind the wheel of the No. 62 car, but the race was restricted to 40 cars, meaning just four non-chartered (open) cars could qualify. Five were on the entry list, and qualifying was rained out, so the No. 62 team was sent home due to their lack of owner points.
Beard Motorsports returning for first NASCAR Cup start of 2026
But this weekend, their 17-race streak without a Cup Series start is set to end at Pocono Raceway, with Mears behind the wheel of the No. 62 Chevrolet.
Only one other open car is on the entry list, that being the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet of Daniel Dye, so both of those cars are locked into the 160-lap Great American Getaway around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Long Pond, Pennsylvania oval.
Beard Motorsports have never previously competed at Pocono. Their most recent Cup Series result is Alfredo's 21st place finish at Talladega in October 2025.
Mears' lone start this season thus far came in the Daytona 500, when he ended Garage 66's 0-for-7 Daytona 500 qualifying streak, a streak that dated back to 2020 itself. He was also entered in the following race at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway), but the team withdrew the No. 66 Ford.
Pocono Raceway is scheduled to host the Great American Getaway 400 this Sunday afternoon, with live coverage from the "Tricky Triangle" set to begin on Amazon Prime Video at 3:00 p.m. ET.
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