McLeod 9: NASCAR driver B.J. McLeod fails to qualify for Daytona 500 until DQ earns surprise start

The conversation was interrupted when one Live Fast Motorsports crew member rushed by them and another trailed him until he was stopped by McLeod, who wanted to know: what the heck was going on?

Don't pack for home quite yet. McLeod's date with Daytona had new life.

Anthony Alfredo was in tears after he initially earned the final spot in the starting lineup in the second of Thursday night's qualifying races. His joy was short-lived as NASCAR announced the Beard Motorsports entry was disqualified because it failed inspection.

That rushed McLeod's No. 78 Chevrolet into the rigorous safety and performance exam.

McLeod watched the entire process — “I was never worried for a second” — and the Chevy was cleared. McLeod snatched Alfredo's spot and would indeed race Sunday against two-time defending winner William Byron and the rest of the field in his sixth career Daytona 500, and first since 2023.

Just hold the hankies. Unlike Alfredo and fellow qualifier Casey Mears, who choked up immediately after crossing the finish line as they achieved their Daytona dream, enough time had passed that McLeod was nonplussed about the unexpected entry into the race.

“For me, the emotion wasn't there like it would have been if I raced my way in on track," McLeod said.

Plus, the hard work was ahead.

McLeod's underfunded team hit the track without a primary sponsor on his Chevy, and he worked the phones all night trying to find the right fit for his car. McLeod silenced his mobile phone multiple times as he lounged in a T-shirt, ripped jeans and flip-flops inside his motorhome Friday during an interview with The Associated Press. There were deals to be made, and McLeod took a potential pitch about a sponsor as soon as the interview ended.

“It hasn't stopped,” McLeod said. “Since we went into tech, it's been non-stop.”

McLeod attempts Daytona each February these days as an open car, meaning he has to race into the field rather than have a guaranteed spot — and the guaranteed sponsorship needed to prop up a race team — as a charter team such as Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing.

“You're fighting an uphill battle,” McLeod said. “But I chose the battle and I'm happy to do it.”

Without a full 36-race slate to pay and prepare for, a handful of teams each February bank their season on the financial spoils and prestige connected with making the Daytona 500.

Missing the race can often be a fatal blow to a small team's race plans.

Beard Motorsports is one of those teams that anchors its season on Daytona. Its entry was disqualified because the transaxle cooling hose wasn’t properly attached in post-race inspection.

“It’s on all of us to make sure our cars are right,” McLeod said.

The Beard family wrote in a statement a review was underway and “our intent is to make races, contend for wins and race with integrity.”

Alfredo posted a video on social media where he explained the rule violation wasn't intentional and had turned his attention to winning NASCAR's second-tier race Saturday at Daytona. Because the races were considered qualifying attempts, Beard could not appeal the DQ.

McLeod fielded a car for Alfredo in NASCAR's second-tier series in 2023 and had forged a friendship with both him and members of the Beard family. That left McLeod with some mixed feelings about making the 41-car field while Alfredo was left out.

“It was hard to enjoy it,” McLeod said.

McLeod wanted to race his way into the Daytona 500, but his qualifying race was initially spoiled because of a miscalculation with the fueler that stretched out a pit stop to 1.5 seconds longer than expected.

McLeod was a team owner in Cup for a brief period before he sold his charter for Live Fast Motorsports to Spire Motorsports for $40 million in 2023. McLeod expressed no regrets about the decision, even as he pegged the current value of that charter at about $100 million. He hasn't ruled out a possible return to ownership in Cup, perhaps with a minority stake.

McLeod pressed on with his racing career. He'll make his 150th career start in the Daytona 500 in hunt of his first career top-five finish.

“It's just fun on Thursday night,” McLeod said. “Now the hard part, the 500, a very, very hard race.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing