Aric Almirola

Aric Almirola
Almirola at Bristol in 2007
Born	March 14, 1984 (1984-03-14) Tampa, Florida, United States
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
36 race(s) run over 5 year(s)
Car no., team	No. 43 (Richard Petty Motorsports)
Best finish	42nd - 2008
First race	2007 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 (Las Vegas)
Last race	2012 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 2 0
NASCAR Nationwide Series career
73 race(s) run over 5 year(s)
2011 position	4th
Best finish	4th - 2011
First race	2006 Circuit City 250 (Richmond)
Last race	2011 Ford 300 (Homestead)
First win	2007 AT&T 250 (Milwaukee)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 28 5
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
75 race(s) run over 7 year(s)
2011 position	95th
Best finish	2nd - 2010
First race	2005 O'Reilly 200 (Memphis)
Last race	2011 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona)
First win	2010 Dover 200 (Dover)
Last win	2011 VFW 200 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 36 0
Statistics current as of February 24, 2012.

Aric A. Almirola (born March 14, 1984) is a Cuban-American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racecar driver, currently driving the No. 43 Smithfield Foods/United States Air Force/STP Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola attended the University of Central Florida working on a degree in mechanical engineering before leaving to pursue a career in racing. Almirola is nicknamed "The Cuban Missile" due to his Cuban heritage.

Early career

Almirola began racing when he was eight years old, racing go-karts. At 14, he began racing nationally. He won the pole position in his debut in the World Karting Association race and finished fourth in the standings that year. Two years later, he moved up into modifieds and won several Rookie of the Year awards.

In 2002, Almirola moved to the NASCAR Sun Belt Weekly Racing Division and finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings. He followed that up with five pole positions in 2003. In 2004, he became one of the first drivers to participate in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. He also signed with Joe Gibbs Racing as a development driver under a partnership with former NFL player Reggie White. Almirola ran the season at Ace Speedway, and won two races before finishing 11th in the points standings. He won five more races at the track in 2005, and made his Truck Series debut with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports and had two top-tens in four races.

Joe Gibbs Racing

For 2006, Almirola drove the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevy for Spears Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, as part of the JGR development program. He started every race and had three top-ten finishes, including a best finish of ninth, ending the season 18th. That season, he also drove nine races in the Busch Series for Gibbs in the No. 19 Husqvarna/Banquet Foods Chevrolet Monte Carlo. His best finish was an eleventh at Dover International Speedway. He also served as a test driver for Gibbs teammates J. J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin when their Nextel Cup and Busch Series schedules conflicted.

Almirola moved up to the Busch series on a regular basis in 2007, driving the No. 18 and No. 20 Chevys for Joe Gibbs, driving each car in ten races apiece. He won his second career pole award for the Orbitz 300 at Daytona, and the first he actually took the green flag after winning a pole, as his first pole at Milwaukee, he was forced to relieve the driving duties over to Denny Hamlin. He again won the pole at Milwaukee in 2007, but thought he was going to give up driving duties to Hamlin again. A late team decision allowed Almirola to start the race due to Hamlin not arriving before the start of the race. On lap 59, during a caution period, because of sponsor commitments, Hamlin took over for Almirola while he was running in the third place. Hamlin went on to win the race, but Almirola was credited with his first NASCAR Busch Series win because he was the driver who started the race. Almirola did not participate in team victory celebrations after the race as he had already left the track. He asked for, and was granted his release from Joe Gibbs racing a month later.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Almirola's No. 40 Nationwide car in 2009

Following the incident at Milwaukee, Almirola departed Joe Gibbs Racing to join Dale Earnhardt, Inc. following the sale of Ginn Racing. He drove the No. 01 Chevy in five races in 2007, and had a best finish of thirtieth. Almirola was named co-driver of the No. 8 United States Army Chevy in the 2008 Sprint Cup, sharing the ride with Mark Martin. His best finish to date is an 8th place finish in the 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol, and his best career start in Sprint Cup is a 3rd place start at the 2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville. Almirola was named the full-time driver of the No. 8 for the 2009 season. Seven races into the 2009 season, Almirola lost his ride to a lack of sponsorship. He later signed a five-race deal with Key Motorsports to drive their No. 40 StopRepairBills.com/Westerman Companies Chevrolet Impala SS in the Nationwide Series. He returned to the Truck Series, driving part-time in the No. 15 Graceway Pharmaceuticals Tundra, and had a seven-race streak of finishes eighth or better. He also made one attempt and one race in the No. 09 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series. In October 2009, he filed paperwork in North Carolina Superior Court indicating that he has a breach-of-contract dispute with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. Almirola, competed in seven Sprint Cup races in 2009 for the team before his No. 8 Chevy car was parked because of a lack of sponsorship, filed the notice in the Charlotte court. The lawsuit was dropped a month later after being settled out of court.

2010-present

Almirola's No. 88 Nationwide car in 2011

For 2010, he was to drive full time for Phoenix Racing's No. 09 Cup series Chevrolet Impala. However he was not eligible to drive the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, even in the car Brad Keselowski won at Talladega with in 2009. Almirola will also drive the No. 51 Graceway Pharmecuticals/ AK Awareness Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In April, Almirola parted ways with Phoenix Racing to focus on his Truck Series ride. Aric attempted the Aarons 499 at Talladega in No. 35 Tommy Baldwin Racing/Mohawk Chevrolet but failed to qualify after qualifying was rained out by NASCAR. Almirola won his first race in the Camping World Truck Series at Dover International Speedway and won again at Michigan International Speedway, holding off Todd Bodine and Kyle Busch.

Hendrick Motorsports named Almirola a standby driver for the No. 48 team should Jimmie Johnson have to exit or miss races due to upcoming birth of Johnson's daughter. Almirola was not needed. In July 2010, Almirola was again a standby driver for Hendrick Motorsports at Pocono in case Jeff Gordon had to leave or miss the race due to the birth of Gordon's son. At Loudon, he was standby for a sick Scott Speed. He drove the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford at Martinsville Speedway in Fall 2010 after Kasey Kahne was released from his contract. Almriola had his first Sprint Cup Top five finish at Homestead.

In 2011, Almirola drove the No. 88 Nationwide Series car for JR Motorsports. He was released from his contract after the season when he accepted a full-time Sprint Cup ride, driving for Richard Petty Motorsports in the No. 43 Ford.

External links

• Official website
• Aric Almirola at Racing Reference