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Aric Almirola admits some concern for 2009, plans full Cup season
By Kenny Bruce - Assistant Managing Editor
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Aric Almirola is still hoping to run the full 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
Sam Greenwood
Getty Images for NASCAR
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Aric Almirola admits he is concerned about his team’s status for 2009, but says he’s been assured his ride will last for the entire NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
The 24-year-old is scheduled to take over the driving duties of the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 8 Chevrolet for 2009 after sharing the ride a year ago with veteran Mark Martin.
“I talked with [co-owners] Teresa [Earnhardt] and Chip [Ganassi] both,” Almirola said Saturday during the annual Sprint Sound and Speed fan festival, “and we’re committed to running the full season ... they say, ‘Come hell or high water, we’re going to race.’”
Earnhardt Ganassi, previously two individual groups fielding a combined six entries in Cup competition, merged to form a new group which will attempt to field four teams this season. But sponsorship is solid for only two of the four cars – the No. 1 of Martin Truex Jr. with Bass Pro Shops and the No. 42 of Juan Pablo Montoya, which could carry sponsorship from Wrigley and Target.
Which leaves two teams, including that of Almirola, still looking for funding with the start of the season barely a month away. Doug Randolph has been hired to serve as crew chief, and several members of the crew have come from the DEI No. 15 team that lost both driver and sponsor at season’s end.
“We’re trying to find money, but it’s tough, it really is,” he said. “There are a lot of teams that are going after the same sponsors. It’s a
brutal market out there right now. ... They’re low-balling each other and taking a lot less.
“It’s a shame, too, because our car finished 14th in owner points last year. You look at that, and it makes you wonder what in the heck is going on. We have an awesome race team, we have cars capable of running up front every single weekend and it’s tough. It’s tough to get sponsors right now, tough to get anybody to spend money.”
Ganassi began the 2008 season with three Cup teams, but shut one early in the year when sponsorship couldn’t be obtained. Almirola says he doesn’t believe the same fate will befall his team.
“How could it not be [a concern]?” he asked. “It’s like saying you’ve only got three dollars in your bank account. Wouldn’t that concern you? Absolutely.
“It’s very disheartening; it’s a shame because we have a really good race team. It’s disappointing to go into the Daytona 500 uncertain about 2009 but we’re not alone.”
Almirola has 18 career Cup starts in two seasons, with a best finish of eighth at Bristol in 2008.
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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4 responses to "Aric Almirola admits some concern for 2009, plans full Cup season". Post a Comment.
Pat Draper said:
Jan 11, 2009 at 11:30 AMWell i think both Ganassi and DEI would have gone down the tube in cup if they had not merged. And the best driver for Ganassi was jpm and for DEI Martin Truex so there are your two best chances of either one of them getting in the chase. I feel bas for Aric Almirola he is one of the up and coming young drivers, and this is a hard way to get started in the cup series. I hope they find him a sponsor. Maybe this year they will have to settle for a part time cup ride for Aric. Things have to get better cause they can't get much worse for Nascar in the future. Unless Nascar starts coughing up some money which i think they should. And do it fast before they put Nascar out of business.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBernadette Motherway said:
Jan 11, 2009 at 5:18 PMToo bad Aric has to have the 'carrot dangled in front of him' for so long. He did a great job driving the #8 part-time.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJanice Marler said:
Jan 11, 2009 at 7:19 PMAric is a good driver and nice young man. He also adds some diversity to NASCAR. Hope the season goes well for him.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAndrew Briscoe said:
Jan 11, 2009 at 11:53 PMIt's gotta suck for him that the same day this article appeared, another one appears that says he's likely to be running only a handful of races in 2009 if Bobby Labonte joins EGR. He doesn't have the experience that sponsors are probably wanting, but he's a decent driver. And for me, he's a local driver, so I kinda have to root for him. I hope it all works out and he gets what he deserves: to run more than the 7 or 8 races that he's planned. DEI ran Regan Smith's car last year with almost no funding, why can't they do that for Almirola in 2009, when costs are supposed to be much lower?
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