(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Aric Almirola wasn’t supposed to be here this year. He had planned to retire following the 2022 season.
When Almirola set foot in Daytona in August for the regular-season finale, he announced his return for at least another season. Now, he has another crack at the Great American Race.
“I keep saying this over and over, but I feel more like I’ve won the lottery than I have ever before being a race car driver because I announced to the world that I was done, that I was gonna walk away, and here I am,” Almirola said on Daytona 500 Media Day. “The only way I can explain that is that it was a gift. The race team wanted me to keep going. The sponsor wanted me to keep going. My wife and kids were excited for me to keep going. Like, all the stars aligned for me to have this opportunity and still be here in racing and continue to chase my dreams, so, for me, I want to make it count. I feel like I’ve been blessed and gifted this opportunity and I want to make the most of it.
“Tomorrow is not guaranteed. We all know that, whether it’s tragic or jubilation you just don’t know what tomorrow brings, and so I’ve learned that throughout the course of my career, but I really learned that last year, so I come into this year free – like I just feel pumped and excited and ready to go. I feel like I’m playing with house money.”
Almirola has two points-paying victories on superspeedways — the 2014 summer Daytona race and the 2018 fall Daytona race. He nearly won the Daytona 500 in 2018 before crashing in Turn 3 on the final lap.
The Tampa, Florida native wants to win the biggest stock car race in the world in front of his hometown friends and family.
(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
“I grew up two hours away in Tampa, drove across that Interstate of I4 and watched races here in the grandstands and just dreamed about being a racer here at Daytona, so to win the Daytona 500 would be the ultimate,” Almirola said. “I’ve been super blessed to win at Daytona and other races, just not the Daytona 500, so I’d like to get that one checked off.”
Last year, Almirola put himself in a good position for the closing laps. He ultimately finished fifth after a wild ending saw Austin Cindric win his first Cup Series race. In 2021, he crashed in the opening laps after early aggression at the front of the pack.
“You have to feel that energy building. You have to see what’s going on around you. You have to be aware of your surroundings and when that starts to happen you have a choice to make,” Almirola said. “Are you gonna stay in the thick of it and try and maneuver your way through the intensity to put yourself in position, or are you gonna bail? A lot of that has to do with where are you at in the race? What position are you running? Are you six rows back trying to create something or are you three rows back and got a shot at the lead? All of those things stack up to making the decision, and every driver is different.”
Almirola failed to make the Playoffs last season and finished in the top 10 just seven times. But that’s now out the window.
After winning Bluegreen Vacation Duel 2, Almirola will get a fourth-place starting position on Sunday.
