“There’s just no other race like it,” Aric Almirola reveals what makes Daytona 500 the Great American Race

Aric Almirola scored his best-ever Daytona 500 finish in 2022. He finished P5 after starting the race at P38.

“There’s just no other race like it,” Aric Almirola reveals what makes Daytona 500 the Great American Race

Aric Almirola

Daytona International Speedway will host the 65th edition of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 19. The 500 miles showdown is nicknamed the “Great American Race” or the “Super Bowl of NASCAR,”. Daytona 500 win is considered a legacy-defining moment for any NASCAR driver, making it the most prestigious race victory in the Cup series.

The race winner is presented with the Harley J. Earl Trophy. The winning car is displayed in race-winning condition for one year at Daytona 500 Experience, the museum associated with the track. Stewart Hass Racing No:10 team driver Aric Almirola while discussing his 2023 chances, revealed why it’s the most prestigious events in the sport.

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 “First off, Daytona is always exciting for me. It’s my home race track, having grown up just two hours away in Tampa. I have a lot of childhood memories from going there with my family.  To top it off, I’ve won there both in Xfinity and Cup cars. I just have a tremendous amount of fond memories of spectating at Daytona, even all the way back to my beginning days,” Almirola said.

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“I would go back and go-kart in Daytona. It’s always exciting because it brings back all those great memories. Not to mention, it’s the world center of racing. It’s the greatest place on earth to go race at. It’s the biggest race of the year, everyone wants to win. Your name is forever etched in history. There’s just no other race like it,” Almirola added.

“There are 150,000 people on the property and millions watching at home. It is such an unreal feeling. You’ve got butterflies in your stomach, but not the nervous kind. It’s more of an antsy, ready-to-go feeling. There’s been all this hype and build-up during preseason and Speedweek, and finally, you’re at the moment where you’re going to roll off pit road and go to battle,” Almirola explained.

Seven times winner Richard Petty is the most decorated driver in the 500-mile race with seven wins. Three times Cup champion Tony Stewart and many legends haven’t tasted the Daytona 500 win. In the last 65 years, there have been only 12 Multiple time champions. It took Dale Sr. 20 years to score a win, while two times cup champion Kyle Busch’s wait for a win continues.

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Aric Almirola is optimistic about his 2023 season

Aric Almirola
Aric Almirola

The 2022 Cup season was a big disappointment for the No:10 team. They failed to score a single win and couldn’t convert top 20s to top 10s. Almirola missed out on the playoff for the first time since joining SHR in 2018. Going into 2023, he hopes for redemption and wants to prove to the garage that he made the right decision by calling off his retirement midway through last year.

“I’m just excited for a new season in general. Every year, at this time of the year, it’s just exciting, and it’s a land of opportunity. Every single weekend is a new opportunity to go win,” Almirola said.

“I think that’s what I’m looking forward to the most, just coming back for another year with the same crew chief and the same group of guys and trying to go compete at a higher level and win races,” Almirola added.

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