Aric Almirola gives a major update on his retirement plans
Aric Almirola has been one of the worst-performing top-team drivers in the 2023 garage.
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Aric Almirola
Stewart Haas Racing veteran Aric Almirola has once again expressed his thoughts on retirement from NASCAR. At the end of the 2021 season, he announced that 2022 would be his final full-time season, but midway through last year, he postponed his retirement plans. As the 2023 season approaches mid-season, he is once again pondering the question of his future.
Almirola has pointed out that he has yet to decide whether to continue racing or retire. He says that his decision remains fluid, and he will decide soon regarding retirement. The SHR veteran said that he remains committed to perfecting his race craft and continuing his pursuit to become the best race car driver.
“I think it’s still very fluid. I don’t have any timetable. By this time last year what I thought was going to happen ended up not happening, so I think, for me, it’s just get up every morning and continue to work hard at being the best race car driver I can be and we’ll see where things shake out,” Aric Almirola said.
The 2023 season so far hasn’t been kind to the veteran driver after his winless 2022 season. He finished outside the Top 20 in 10 of the 15 races this year. He has just one Top 10 finish this season, a P6 which came in Martinsville. This has been the worst-ever start to a Cup season for the No:10 driver since making his SHR debut.
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Aric Almirola extending his contract for one more year will be the safest bet for SHR
SHR’s championship-winning driver Kevin Harvick has already announced that he will retire at the end of the 2023 season. Unlike Almirola in 2022, Harvick’s decision seems final, and it would be a miracle if he decides to change the plans. Replacing one of their most successful drivers is a big task for SHR.
According to reports, they have already identified JRM’s Xfinity driver Josh Berry as the potential replacement. The talk about signing the driver for 2024 is close to completion. SHR also has a Ryan Preece situation, as the veteran driver who replaced Cole Custer last season has yet to produce a solid run that justifies his seat.
Other than Chase Briscoe, all three Cup seats of SHR are uncertain. If the team can extend Almirola’s contract for one more year, they could in theory, replace Peerce with a young driver from the Xfinity series. Veteran Almirola can guide the rookie and Berry in their debut season before retiring.
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Justin P Joy
(5013 Articles Published)