Aric Almirola Seeking More Magic at New Hampshire

The veteran driver is vying for his fifth Cup Collection Playoff look, in what shall be his final alternative at a championship. Six races stay within the common season earlier than the Playoff area is about and Almirola continues to be trying to find his first win of the yr. He has three profession Cup victories, however at present sits twelfth within the regular-season standings, 42 factors out of a playoff spot.

Almirola is in his tenth full-time season, and his fourth with Stewart Haas Racing. Earlier than this season started, the 38-year previous introduced that this is able to be his last yr as a full-time driver, desirous to spend extra time with household as his two youngsters develop up.

“I wish to be current. I wish to be one of the best husband and father, and that to me means greater than being a racecar driver. So, it’s yet another yr the place I’m all in on racing, the place we’ll do no matter it takes to compete on the highest degree. However when the season is over, I’ll be able to wave goodbye. I’ve liked each minute of it, nevertheless it’s time for the subsequent chapter of my life.”

This weekend is a particular one for Aric and this staff. Immediately’s race at New Hampshire is the location of their final victory, when the No. 10 automobile shot his means by way of the sphere from the twenty second beginning place to take the checkered flag. That win was considerably stunning in NASCAR circles however not for Almirola.

“No person ought to have thought that we had been going to win,” Almirola quipped. “Solely our race staff is the individuals that ought to have thought that or believed that. It feels good to be the underdog and sort of come out of nowhere and have a race automobile like we did, sort of put it to them on the finish of the race and drive off and go win this race.”

Whereas the victory did come out of nowhere, it shouldn’t be that stunning that he was operating up entrance in Loudon. Almirola has been constantly good right here over the previous couple of years. In his final 4 New Hampshire begins (all with SHR) he has completed third, eleventh, seventh, and 1st. He led laps in all 4 races and began the 2020 race from pole place.

“That is by far certainly one of my favourite race tracks,” Almirola mentioned after successful final yr. “I like coming as much as the New England space and racing. I like this race observe. We’ve been by way of a lot. All people has simply been working so arduous. There’ve been so many individuals who’ve continued to assist us.”

Qualifying seventh yesterday, Almirola was the quickest Ford driver at New Hampshire.

Though his success at New Hampshire offers loads of optimism heading into at present’s race, this season has undoubtedly not gone the way in which Almirola had envisioned. Issues began out effectively with a top-five within the Daytona 500 and a pair of sixth place finishes the subsequent two weekends. Issues received tough after that, as he scored only one top-ten end (eighth) over the course of the subsequent 11 races.

The final 5 races have been a combined bag for the No. 10 staff. They matched their greatest end of the season at Gateway, however adopted that up with outcomes of 14th, seventeenth, and twenty eighth. Final weekend they rallied for an under-the-radar eighth place consequence, giving them a bit momentum heading into this weekend.

“It’s been a superb yr, simply hasn’t been nice,” Almirola mentioned about his season to this point. “We’ve missed getting the Victory Lane just a few occasions however total, we’ve had numerous consistency and we’ve run effectively. I really feel like we’re beginning to determine this new automobile. Each observe is completely different and we’re studying that final yr’s success doesn’t assure success this yr. We’ve needed to re-evaluate and adapt the way in which we assault the weekend and the setups, and every little thing is so distinctive and so new with this automobile that it’s nonetheless a studying course of.”

Via 19 races this season, Almirola has led only a whole of six laps. These all got here within the March Atlanta race, and he might want to add to that whole if he’s going to be an element at present. There have been 50 Cup races at New Hampshire and a driver successful back-to-back races right here has occurred 4 occasions. The final to perform that feat was his teammate Kevin Harvick when he received the 2018 and 2019 races.

As soon as thought-about one of many premier groups within the storage, SHR has lately had a few down years. Harvick’s 64-race winless drought after successful ten races the yr earlier than that’s one instance. Cole Custer has not produced the outcomes wanted and Almirola is falling into that very same field. Chase Briscoe has been the lone brilliant spot as of late, however he too is struggling to search out consistency.

Again in January the staff introduced that Drew Blickensderfer was leaving Entrance Row Motorsports to be the crew chief for the No. 10 automobile. The Daytona 500 winner was reunited with Almirola, whom he labored with at Richard Petty Motorsports. “Drew has been within the sport a very long time and is aware of tips on how to get one of the best out of the individuals round him, and that’s actually what the job of crew chief has turn into,” mentioned Greg Zipadelli, SHR VP of competitors.

The concept behind that transfer was to assist with the steep studying curve that the Subsequent Gen automobile would produce. Because the two already had a working relationship, it seemingly would assist them stand up to hurry a lot sooner. That hasn’t fairly labored out the way in which the staff had deliberate, however there’s nonetheless time for them to make some magic occur.

“The principle factor is that this staff doesn’t quit,” Almirola mentioned. “Each race this season has had its ups and downs and we have now made probably the most out of the day we’re given. Irrespective of the circumstances, we race for yet another spot till the checkered flag waves, and I feel our place is the factors has proven that. Our time will come.”

Whereas Almirola is not going to be again subsequent season, the staff continues to be pushing on regardless of all the unknowns. “It has been enterprise as typical, going to the race observe and centered on successful races and persevering with to do what we have to do to make the playoffs. However all of the stuff behind the scenes, yeah, I’ve been concerned in part of attempting to assist Smithfield and assist Stewart Haas Racing work out what their plan goes ahead, and I feel there’s nonetheless simply numerous query marks simply normally about what that’s going to seem like.”

Irrespective of how this season performs out, Almirola goes to be grateful that he was in a position to benefit from the journey. There was a time when he thought it might all be taken away. “Once I wrecked at Kansas and broke my again in 2017, I wasn’t certain if that was going to be the top of my profession. On the finish of the day, trophies acquire mud, and I don’t put all of my inventory and all my weight in being a champion.”

Almirola undoubtedly feels like a person that has his priorities so as. “It’s been an ideal journey,” he mentioned. “I’ve been blessed past my wildest creativeness and I truthfully don’t have any regrets. I wish to win and I wish to be a champion, however on the finish of the day, I do know that these issues imply means lower than being there for my household.”