Aric Almirola Tag

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer For the first time since joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Aric Almirola has earned a top-five finish. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver once again appeared to have a chance to record his first victory since 2014 in the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Prior to the final caution on lap 258, Almirola had been leading in the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion. Under yellow, a slow pit stop dropped the Ford Performance driver from the lead to third on the runningRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Disappointed. One word summed up how the Sunday’s Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland Speedway wound up playing out for Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team. After one of the best races in recent years for the newest member of the four-car organization, Almirola saw what could have been a race winning car dropped back to 25th place at the end of the race due to two unscheduled pit stops for loose wheels. “Our car was super fast, especially out in clean air,” said Almirola.Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer Extra seat time at Sonoma Raceway paid off for Aric Almirola. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran competed in his first Sonoma Cup race since 2016 after being sidelined last year due to a back injury. Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion team cut the final stage into thirds, like his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates. As the laps wound down, he found himself battling with Erik Jones, Alex Bowman, and Daniel Suarez. Almirola and his crew chief Johnny Klausmeier banked on the possibility of aRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service SONOMA, Calif. – Using a contrarian strategy that included bluffing Kevin Harvick onto pit road earlier than planned in the final stage of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, Martin Truex Jr. pulled off a convincing victory in the 16th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. On Lap 73, during the final stage of the race, Truex’s crew chief, Cole Pearn, ordered the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota to pit road. On the spur of the moment, Harvick’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, optedRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — Second a year ago, winner this time around for 23-year-old Will Rodgers, who beat Aric Almirola by 4.420 seconds to score his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series West win of the season in Saturday’s Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway. On the final restart with 14 laps to go, the pole sitter made the pitch perfect move to get by Almirola in Turn 11, and dethroned the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regulars in the process. “That pass really came down to theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The first five races of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West were all contested at tracks that are 1/2 mile or less. That’ll change Saturday as 31 cars are scheduled to compete in the Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. It’s the tour’s only road course of the season, and certainly a wild card on the series calendar. More so that five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers are added into the mix. The five are Hendrick Motorsports drivers Alex Bowman and WilliamRead More

By NASCAR Wire Service LONG POND, Pa. – Taking charge of Sunday’s Pocono 400 by staying out under caution on Lap 140 of 160, reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. pulled away after a restart with seven laps left to win the race and inject himself emphatically into the title conversation. The outcome was all about control. Five-time winner Kevin Harvick had it for most of the event, leading a race-high 89 laps. Four-time winner Kyle Busch had it late, winning the race off pit roadRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Kevin Harvick, nicknamed NASCAR’s “Closer,” earned his moniker on Saturday night at Kansas Speedway, passing reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. on the next-to-last lap to add the KC Masterpiece 400 to his collection of victories this season. Charging from sixth place and chasing race leader Martin Truex Jr. after a restart on Lap 259 of 267, Harvick found speed in the top lane with five laps left and passed Truex on the outside through Turns 3Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After a stirring duel for the win in the spring 2012 race at Kansas Speedway, the track underwent a massive reconfiguration that was completed by the time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to the track in October. With the facelift, the track turned from a tame 1.5 miler to a treacherous beast that did its best to chew up and spit out as many race cars as possible in its opening weekend. Mark Martin and Aric Almirola would be the two cars to getRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer  A new technology partner and sponsorship may be the turning point that Richard Petty Motorsports has needed. RPM may have gone through more changes in the past decade than any other team. In its’ current form, the team has been in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition since 2009. RPM’s roots, however, go back to the very start of NASCAR with Petty Enterprises. As Petty Enterprises, the team was a powerhouse in its’ heyday. In over 2,800 Premier Series starts, the team earned a staggeringRead More