Almirola looks forward to full-time run in DEI's No. 8 next season
By Rea White - Associate Editor
Friday, July 04, 2008
- TEXT SIZE: Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Reset Text Size
- No Comments. Leave a Comment
- Digg This
- Add to Del.icio.us
- RSS Feeds
Robert Laberge / Getty Images for NASCAR
Latest Headlines
- ABC’s overnight TV ratings for Charlotte Cup race drop 12.5 percent
- Nationwide COT will not make its race debut until 2010
- Rea White: Chase For The Sprint Cup filled with intriguing storylines
- Justin Allgaier wins ARCA title; Scott Speed parked in final race
- Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton finds enjoyment in title chase
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Aric Almirola seems calm and relaxed, but he says that it would be difficult to capture his emotions about competing full time in NASCAR next season.
Up until now, the 24-year-old has been NASCAR's official part-time driver. Next year, that changes when he takes over the Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup entry that he currently shares with Mark Martin. He ran nine Busch Series races in 2006 and 18 in 2007 with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he left to join Martin in driving the DEI Chevrolet this season.
"I've always run a partial deal so for the first time I'm going to get to run a full schedule, I'm going to get to run every weekend," he said. "I'm really looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to working with all these guys on this team every single week because it will help, when we have good weekends, to build on momentum, and when we have bad weekends, to go to the next week and try and make it better. Really looking forward to that."
Almirola also ran six Cup races last season, one with JGR and five with the Ginn Racing team that was purchased by DEI midseason. He's run five this year, with a top finish of eighth. That came in his first race with the team - and sparked talk about putting him into a Cup car full time next year.
He says that he certainly didn't have any difficulty working out the details of his future next season. After all, this is what he's been waiting for all these years.
"I was going to get to drive a race car full time and better yet it was going to be the No. 8 car at DEI, so I'm thrilled to death," he said when asked about any potential negotiations to get to this point. "It was very simple to work out so, I can't wait for February to get here. I've been telling everybody that if I could go to bed tonight and wake up tomorrow morning and we'd be at Daytona testing, I'd be happy."
Asked if he was surprised by the development, Almirola answered "yes and no," but said that the talks were jump-started by his Bristol run. At that time, the team started talking about getting him more races.
"Fortunately, the way all the circumstances worked out, it worked out perfect, in my opinion, to where I'm going to get to run every week," he said.
The circumstances include an expected move by Martin to Hendrick Motorsports, something expected to be confirmed Friday. What is already certain is that Almirola is running full time next year in the No. 8.
While he's ready to race week to week, he admits it might be awhile before he gets to do so. Almirola says that he's racing in other series - like running the recent Prelude to the Dream Dirt Late Model race - and heading to the track with the team to stay active and get as much time in a race car as he can.
While that might have offered its share of frustrations, Almirola isn't discussing them now. For him, running on a part-time basis had become business as usual.
"I've dealt with it now for so long that I have sort of, I hate to say it, but I've sort of become accustomed to it," he said. "I'm just so excited, now it will be even more emotional because I know what I have to look forward to so that will be a big deal to me, coming every week still and hanging out with these guys that's what it's all about for me because I really enjoy being with these guys. [Crew chief] Tony Gibson and the whole crew that he's put together here are a lot of fun to work with so it makes it fun to show up at the race track."
He says, though, that the team is looking into the possibility that he could pick up additional races, perhaps in the Nationwide Series, but that nothing has been finalized in that area to this point.
As he looks ahead, he sees this as a win-win situation. He doesn't even think that he's losing the advice he's earned from Martin - now he'll just get it while they are at the track together.
"I've talked to him about it, but he's still the same Mark Martin," Almirola said. "He's going to be at the race track. If anything, it's going to be better, weekends I'm in the race car, he's going to be in the race car, too, so I can walk up and grab him and speak with him for a second, ask him, 'Is your car doing this?' … I think he'll be just as much of a help to me for the rest of my career. He's a phenomenal race-car driver and he's taught me a lot and hopefully he doesn't stop teaching me."
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Aric Almirola
No Comments
Be the first to comment on "Almirola looks forward to full-time run in DEI's No. 8 next season". Login or sign up for a free account below to post your comment