‘He was just awesome,’ Aric Almirola on honoring grandfather Sam Rodriguez in with a throwback paint scheme at Darlington in his last season as a full-time Cup racer
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Aric Almirola
The ‘Cuban Missile’ Aric Almirola, who is running his last full-time NASCAR Cup gig is et owner his grandfather and local Sprint race legend ‘Slammin Sammy Rodriguez‘ A.K.A Sam Rodriguez. He will use the red paint scheme used by his Grandparent on his No:10 Stewart-Hass Racing car.
Throughout his 11-year-long career, Aric Almirola has had 3 wins and 88 Top 10’s in his 399 Cup Race starts. The Darlington race will see another milestone reached for the Cuban as he will start his 400 Cup race and will be hoping to win the race to honor his grandfather.
Now Aric Almirola has come forth revealing his experience watching his Grandfather on the track from a young age and how he has been a hero figure for him.
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Aric Almirola on throwback paint scheme dedicated to his grandfather at Darlington
Aric Almirola said that his grandfather was a highly successful sprint racer and champion in the Southeast. He went on to say that his Grandfather Sam Rodriguez was doing his racing as a part-time job as he was also running a small business which he saw as the main priority. Aric Almirola went on to say watching his grandfather on the field pulling slides and passing his opponents from the age of 1 was an awesome experience for him.
“My grandfather was a highly successful local Sprint Car racer and champion. He’s also won a ton of Sprint Car races across the Southeast. The craziest thing is that he did that on the side. He ran a small business as his main priority. Me growing up, I went to the racetrack most weekends to watch him race from the time I was 1 year old to the time I was 10, just being there and watching the success he had and seeing how good he was,” Aric Almirola said.
“Of course, he was my grandfather, but to watch him drive through the field and pull sliders on the guys in a front of him and pass a guy on the outside and squeeze between the lapped car, and shoot the gap three wide, he was just awesome,” Aric Almirola added.
Aric Almirola went on to explain why his grandpa was named ‘Slammin Sammy Rodriguez’ saying he was always on the gas which he found exciting to watch in the past. He went on to Mr. Rodriguez was a fan favorite at East Bay Raceway and the Southeast. He added that his grandfather always had a shot at winning races regardless of where ever he started.
“He had the nickname of ‘Slammin Sammy Rodriguez’ because he was always on the gas. He was a gasser and he was just excited to watch. He was a fan favorite all over the Southeast, specifically at East Bay Raceway, which was his home track. You know he was going to have a shot to win every Saturday night no matter where he started,” says Aric Almirola.
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