Aric Almirola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aric Almirola
Almirola at Richmond Raceway in 2024
Born	Aric Michael Almirola (1984-03-14) March 14, 1984 (age 41) Fort Walton Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg)
Achievements	2014 Coke Zero 400 winner 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 winner 2021, 2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duel winner 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race Open winner
NASCAR Cup Series career
460 races run over 16 years
2023 position	22nd
Best finish	5th (2018)
First race	2007 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 (Las Vegas)
Last race	2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Phoenix)
First win	2014 Coke Zero 400 (Daytona)
Last win	2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (New Hampshire)
Wins Top tens Poles 3 96 6
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
126 races run over 14 years
Car no., team	No. 19 (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2024 position	17th
Best finish	4th (2011)
First race	2006 Circuit City 250 (Richmond)
Last race	2025 US Marine Corps 250 (Martinsville)
First win	2007 AT&T 250 (Milwaukee)
Last win	2025 GOVX 200 (Phoenix)
Wins Top tens Poles 8 54 5
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
78 races run over 8 years
2024 position	91st
Best finish	2nd (2010)
First race	2005 O'Reilly 200 (Memphis)
Last race	2012 WinStar World Casino 350K (Texas)
First win	2010 Dover 200 (Dover)
Last win	2010 VFW 200 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 38 0
Statistics current as of March 29, 2025.

Aric Michael Almirola, born on March 14, 1984, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently races part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. Before this, Almirola competed full-time in the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series. He also raced in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and other racing series like the ARCA Menards Series.

Aric Almirola's Racing Journey

Starting Out in Racing

Aric Almirola was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. His family has Cuban roots. He started racing go-karts when he was just eight years old. By age 14, he was competing in national races. He even won the first race he entered in the World Karting Association. Two years later, he moved up to modified cars and earned several "Rookie of the Year" awards.

Joining NASCAR

In 2002, Almirola joined the NASCAR Sun Belt Weekly Racing Division. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings. In 2004, he became one of the first drivers in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. He also joined Joe Gibbs Racing as a young driver. He won two races at Ace Speedway that year. In 2005, he made his debut in the Truck Series.

Early NASCAR Years (2006–2007)

In 2006, Almirola raced in the Craftsman Truck Series. He also drove in nine Busch Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing. He even helped his teammates by testing their cars. He earned his first career pole position at the Milwaukee Mile.

In 2007, Almirola raced more often in the Busch Series. He won another pole position at Daytona International Speedway. At the Milwaukee Mile, he started the race and led for 43 laps. Due to a sponsor commitment, another driver, Denny Hamlin, took over his car. Hamlin won the race, but Almirola was still credited with his first NASCAR Busch Series win because he started it. After this, Almirola left Joe Gibbs Racing and joined Dale Earnhardt, Inc..

Cup Series Debut (2008–2009)

Almirola's No. 8 Cup car in 2009

Almirola's No. 40 Nationwide car in 2009

In 2008, Almirola shared the No. 8 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. His best finish was eighth at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was set to drive full-time in 2009, but he lost his spot due to a lack of sponsorship. He then raced part-time in the Truck Series and had a great streak of top-eight finishes. He also had a disagreement with his team, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, which was later resolved.

Truck and Nationwide Success (2010–2012)

Almirola's No. 88 Nationwide car in 2011

In 2010, Almirola focused on the Truck Series. He won his first Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway. He won again at Michigan International Speedway. He finished second in the points standings that year. He also had his first top-five finish in the Sprint Cup Series at Homestead.

In 2011, Almirola drove for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He earned two pole positions and had 18 top-ten finishes. He ended the season fourth in points. After this successful year, he moved to a full-time Sprint Cup Series ride.

Driving the No. 43 Car (2012–2017)

Almirola's 2013 Sprint Cup car, in the same Air Force scheme he took to victory lane at Daytona in 2014

In 2012, Almirola joined Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the famous No. 43 car. He earned a pole position at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also had one top-five and four top-ten finishes. In 2013, he had his most consecutive top-ten finishes in the No. 43 car since 1996. He finished a career-high 18th in points.

In 2014, Almirola signed a three-year contract extension. He had a slow start to the year. However, at the 2014 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, he earned his first career Cup Series win. The race was shortened due to rain. This win was special because it was the first victory for the No. 43 car since 1999. It also happened 30 years after Richard Petty won his 200th race. This win secured Almirola a spot in the 2014 playoffs.

Almirola's No. 43 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2017

In 2015, Almirola had a consistent year, often finishing in the top 15. In 2016, he won an Xfinity Series race at Daytona, beating another driver by a tiny margin. He said this felt like his first real Xfinity Series win.

In 2017, Almirola had a serious crash at Kansas Speedway. He was airlifted to the hospital and diagnosed with a back injury. He missed several weeks of racing while he recovered. Other drivers filled in for him. He was cleared to return to racing in July 2017. Later that year, he announced he would leave Richard Petty Motorsports.

Stewart–Haas Racing (2018–2023)

Almirola's No. 10 car at Sonoma Raceway in 2019

Aric Almirola racing at Martinsville in 2022.

In 2018, Almirola joined Stewart–Haas Racing. He was leading the 2018 Daytona 500 on the last lap but crashed. He made it to the playoffs due to his consistent performance. At Talladega Superspeedway, he won his second career Cup Series race. This win moved him into the Round of 8 in the playoffs. He finished the season fifth in points, his best career finish.

In 2019, Almirola again made the playoffs. He finished second at Texas Motor Speedway, his best finish of the season. In 2020, he had several strong runs, including a third-place finish at Pocono. His consistency helped him reach the playoffs for the third year in a row.

In 2021, Almirola won his qualifying race for the Daytona 500. He later won his third career Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The race was shortened due to darkness. He finished 15th in the points standings that year.

In January 2022, Almirola announced he would retire from full-time racing after the 2022 season. However, in August 2022, he changed his mind and decided to continue racing in 2023. He had a good start to 2022 with a fifth-place finish at the Daytona 500. He had two top-fives and seven top-tens that year. In October 2023, Almirola announced he would not return to Stewart–Haas Racing in 2024.

In 2023, Almirola raced part-time in the Xfinity Series. He won at Sonoma Raceway, which was the first Xfinity Series win at that track. It was also the first win for his team, RSS Racing.

Part-time in Xfinity Series (2024–Present)

Almirola's No. 19 car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024.

In 2024, Almirola returned to Joe Gibbs Racing for a part-time Xfinity Series schedule. He won at Martinsville Speedway and earned a special bonus. He had a brief suspension from the team after an argument with another driver. However, he returned to racing and won two more races later in the year. Despite only racing part-time, he finished 17th in the Xfinity Series standings. He had 3 wins, 8 top-fives, and led 415 laps.

Almirola's No. 19 car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2025.

For 2025, Almirola is continuing to race part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing. He is partnering with the Christian organization Young Life for nine races.

Aric Almirola's Personal Life

Aric Almirola was born at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and grew up in Tampa. His family comes from Cuba. His grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, was also a race car driver.

Almirola went to Hillsborough High School in Tampa. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Central Florida before focusing on his racing career.

Aric is married to Janice Almirola. They have two children. In 2019, Almirola and his children appeared in a public service announcement about responsible fatherhood.

Motorsports Career Highlights

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Daytona 500

See also

• List of Cuban Americans
• List of people from Tampa, Florida