[autotag]Aric Almirola[/autotag] officially confirmed one of NASCAR’s worst secrets on Saturday morning. Almirola announced on social media that he will not return to Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2024 NASCAR season. The driver of the No. 10 car previously announced his retirement in 2022 but decided to come back for one more year.
Almirola will leave alongside Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick as the two drivers only have two more races left at the organization. Also, Smithfield Foods, Almirola’s sponsor, announced that it would no longer be in NASCAR beyond the 2023 season, which leaves the No. 10 car for Stewart-Haas Racing without any significant sponsorship.
— Aric Almirola (@Aric_Almirola) October 28, 2023
Overall, Almirola had a very solid career in the Cup Series with three victories. As for who may replace him in the No. 10 Cup car, Noah Gragson is the top candidate to join Stewart-Haas Racing. Gragson would join Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece at Stewart-Haas Racing if this move comes to fruition.
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