Almirola sings with JR Motorsports for Truck Series 2011
On Wednesday general manager of JR Motorsports Kelley Earnhardt announced that the racing organization had signed a multi-year deal with Aric Almirola to drive for the company’s flagship No.88 car in the 2011 Nationwide Series. The deal strengthens both JR Motorsports' and Almirola’s futures in the second tier NASCAR series.
“The chance to drive full time in the Nationwide Series with a top calibre team is something I am extremely excited about," said Almirola, who already drove with JR Motorsports at the O’Reilly Raceway Park in July where he placed third. The 26-year old Cuban-American racer has proven his credentials; he has 32 NASCAR Nationwide series starts and one victory while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2007 at the Milwaukee Mile.
“I was at the shop [Tuesday], and Kelley gathered all the employees around to announce our deal. The energy and excitement was addicting,” Almirola said. “We raced at ORP together a month ago and had a really good run. There is no reason why we cannot compete like that every race, and there is no reason why we shouldn't be running for a championship. I would expect nothing less."
Almirola drove with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2006-7 during which time he earned three poles and six top 10 finishes. Winning at the Milwaukee Mile was more than just an overdue victory; it opened the doors for Almirola to move up to the Cup Series, a lifelong dream. In 2008 he signed with Dale Earnhardt Inc. as a part time driver, sharing a seat with Mark Martin.
Almirola made 30 Cup starts that year and scored a career best finish on his first race of the season, an eighth place finish at Bristol. He continued racing in the Cup series part time throughout 2009 until he landed a full time seat at Billy Ballew Motorsports in the third tier Truck Series in 2010.
Almirola has raced 15 times and has won twice already, once at Dover in May and at Michigan in June. He has finished in the top 10 all but four times and is in second place in the Truck series points standings.
Earnhardt has great expectations of Almirola and hopes he will carry the company far next year.“If there is a quintessential JR Motorsports driver, we feel it's Aric Almirola," Earnhardt said. "The way he drives, the ambition he carries, the way he represents himself on and off the track, it all fits within our company's dynamics, our core objectives, and the values of our sponsorship partners. We look forward to putting him in our No. 88 car so he can continue his success."
Almirola will race also Wednesday in the Truck Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. He will be behind the wheel of the Zyclara by Graceway Charmaceuticals Toyota Tundra. “Bristol is a tough racetrack. It's one of the most physically demanding tracks we go to. It will wear you down. It gets really hot down in that bowl. It's August, it's burning up. The steep banks create some serious g-force. Your body gets pulled in all kinds of different directions,” he said.
But Almirola has been keeping himself in good shape, an important element of racing that will ensure he doesn’t get burned out during the race. "Because it's such a short track, you're always moving your arms and legs. Until there's a caution, you never get to rest or relax for even a second. It's important to be in good shape. I've been running and taking care of my body, so I think I'll be in good condition for the race."
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