Aric Almirola Tag

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service HAMPTON, Ga. – Clint Bowyer was on the doorstep of securing his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole position since 2007, but teammate Aric Almirola and fellow Ford driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had the last say. Almirola powered his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the fastest lap of the day in the final round of Friday’s knockout qualifying session at Atlanta Motor Speedway, claiming the second Busch Pole Award of his career—and his first since winning the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 in 2012.Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –  Shattered dreams and a wad of junked cars surrounded the garage area after an 21-car crash on Lap 191 brought out the first of two red flags during Sunday’s 61st Daytona 500. Heading into Turn 3, Matt DiBenedetto, who led a race-high 49 laps, was running in fourth when contact by Paul Menard caused a wicked ripple effect that went from a fierce and clean race, to an absolute barn burner. As cars tried to avoid the mess, some weren’t as fortunateRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Aric Almirola came agonizingly close to winning the Daytona 500 last season, falling a mile short after getting spun from the lead by Austin Dillon in Turn 3 on the final lap. A year later, the thought of redeeming himself with a trip to Victory Lane is in the forefront of his mind heading into Sunday’s running of the Great American Race. “For me, last year being a mile away from winning the Daytona 500, that stands out for me,” Almirola said.Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The offseason is over and Stewart-Haas Racing is at the ready for the Monster Energy Cup season. With the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and newcomer Daniel Suarez preview their hopes for the upcoming campaign with the incoming Ford Mustang. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid bring the latest from one of NASCAR’s elite teams.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season will roar to life with a Sunday doubleheader on February 10 at Daytona to signal the start of Speedweeks. Once again this year, Cup Series qualifying and the Advance Auto Parts Clash exhibition race will kick off a week of action leading up to the 61st annual Daytona 500 the following Sunday. On Thursday, the sanctioning body released the eligibility requirements and drivers that have met those requirements for the two-segment, 75-lap event. This year’s eligible drivers will conformRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Continuing the speed shown earlier in the day, Joey Logano was the fastest once again in final practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway, jumping to the top of the board early on and staying there for the duration of the session. Logano clocked in at 31.450 seconds, 171.701 mph, with fellow championship contender Martin Truex Jr. following close on his heels with the second fastest time in practice. “I think we were pretty good,” Logano said. “I amRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A day after struggling to find speed in the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session of the weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Joey Logano topped the board in the first of two Saturday practice sessions. Logano ran 40 laps throughout practice, but it was his first lap on track that was the fastest, posting a time of 31.838 seconds, 169.609 mph. The Team Penske driver was also fastest among 10-lap averages. “How do you not feel confident in that?  You have to,”Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service AVONDALE, Ariz. – Holding off Brad Keselowski after a restart with 12 laps left in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway, Kyle Busch claimed his eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and led NASCAR’s Big Three into the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After a wreck on Lap 269 of 312 ended the championship hopes of Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott—both of whom had been in the mix throughout the day—Busch grabbed the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate ErikRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer An early flat right-front tire at ISM Raceway could not keep Kevin Harvick from advancing to the Championship Four. A win from another member of the ‘Big Three’ also helped the Stewart-Haas Racing driver keep his 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship bid alive following the Can-Am 500. Harvick’s No.4 Busch Light Ford Fusion was a magnet for drama throughout the 312-lap race. On the final restart, Harvick lined up alongside race leader, and winner, Kyle Busch. The only Playoff driver on the outsideRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The Round of Eight all comes down to this. After last week’s race at Texas, the stage is set for the final race of the round in Phoenix to determine which drivers will move onto Homestead and which drivers will see their championship hopes vanish in the Arizona desert. Three of the four spots in the championship race are still up for grabs after the penalty news that came out on Wednesday. Of the drivers still eligible, only Joey Logano is safe, having locked up hisRead More