[autotag]Aric Almirola[/autotag] revealed before the end of the 2023 NASCAR season that it would be his last at Stewart-Haas Racing. Almirola would leave the No. 10 Cup car after previously announcing his retirement for 2022. However, this wasn’t a retirement for the Florida native. Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Almirola would drive the No. 20 Xfinity car part-time in 2023.
It was a surprising announcement that saw Almirola returning to where he started his career in the NASCAR ranks. In fact, the 39-year-old driver spoke to NASCAR.com about how this partnership happened and how he feels about competing at Joe Gibbs Racing moving forward.
“It was out of nowhere,” Almirola said. “I got a call from Coach [Joe Gibbs] in early September, and he said, ‘Hey, I heard you’re going to retire,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir, I am.’ He said, ‘Well, if you are, I’d like for you to come back to Joe Gibbs Racing and retire from here.'”
Repost to congratulate Aric Almirola on his NASCAR Cup Series POLE at Talladega! Joey Logano also qualifies for the front row. pic.twitter.com/K3EByK2Q8M
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 30, 2023
“I was humbled, shocked, and I was excited. I wanted to stay involved in the sport and contribute somehow, someway. I just didn’t want to do it seven days a week for however long the Cup schedule is.”
Almirola can still compete at a high level, which was seen by his second-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in October. Joe Gibbs Racing will allow Almirola to push for victories in the Xfinity Series, and it should be expected after he won RSS Racing’s first race in 2023. Almirola’s exact schedule is unknown, but seeing how he runs next year will be interesting.
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