“Truly fascinating”: Anthony Alfredo sheds light on ‘ripping the fence’ aspect of NASCAR ahead of Homestead weekend

With days to go before NASCAR hits Homestead-Miami Speedway for next week's races, Anthony Alfredo posted on X (formerly Twitter) explaining why drivers ride the high lane at the 1.5-mile, oval-shaped speedway. The Ridgefield native found the maneuver "truly fascinating" and explained why it is crucial in tracks like Homestead, which have less grip.

The move, often called "ripping the fence", helps NASCAR drivers pack speed in their cars while running just inches away from the outside wall. While this requires skill and years of experience, the pocket of air created between the car and the fence provides more side force to the car, thus allowing it to run faster.

Elucidating the same in his recent post, Alfredo said,

"Ever heard of NASCAR drivers leaning on a ‘cushion’ while racing right against the wall mid-corner? Well, there truly is an air bubble helping them accomplish this. ‘Ripping the fence’ works thanks to an aerodynamic effect from the wall proximity that results in more side force on the race car, allowing the driver to carry more speed and generate better lap time. Truly fascinating."

Anthony Alfredo drives the No. 5 Chevrolet for Our Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 52 Xfinity starts, the speedster amassed three top 5s and 13 top 10s.

The 25-year-old previously drove the #38 Front Row Motorsports machine in the Cup Series and competed for the 2021 Rookie of the Year title. Besides that, Alfredo has been a contender in the ARCA Series and a member of the 2018 NASCAR NEXT class.

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Top seeds for NASCAR Xfinity Series AMEX Credit Card 300

By winning last week's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, AJ Allmendinger clinched a spot in the Championship 4 and currently tops the leaderboard with a seven-point advantage on the elimination line. The other three drivers above the provisional cutline are Justin Allgaier, Chandler Smith, and reigning Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer.

Just below the cutline are Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Hill and Jesse Love, followed by JR Motorsports duo, Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith. The 200-lap event will kick off Saturday, October 26th from 4 PM ET onwards. Fans can watch the race live on CW or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This is going to be the 31st Xfinity Series race at the oval-shaped, intermediate speedway at Homestead, Florida. This is also going to be the third time for Homestead-Miami Speedway to host the fifth race in the playoff calendar.

Formerly known as the Homestead Motorsports Complex, Homestead-Miami Speedway also hosted the Championship race in four consecutive years, i.e., from 2016 to 2019. The winners of those races were Daniel Suarez, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick (twice in a row), respectively. Today, all three drivers are regular faces in the NASCAR Cup Series.