Aric Almirola

In the fall of 2003, he got a call from J.D. Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing, inviting him to a tryout in Hickory. The tryout went well and, shortly before Christmas, Gibbs called back. If he was willing to move to Charlotte, Gibbs said, he had a spot.  

Almirola will be joined in the front row by Marcos Ambrose. Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle will start in the second row while Clint Bowyer rounds out the top five. Other notables include Denny Hamlin in the eighth spot, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12th ...  

Aric Almirola will lead the field to green to start NASCAR's longest race. Marcos Ambrose, who hasn't won a Cup pole yet, will take the green flag in whichever lane -- outside or inside -- Almirola doesn't choose. Both Almirola and Ambrose have ...  

CONCORD, N.C. — It’s been awhile, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte. Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598, giving ...  

CONCORD, N.C. -- What can a career-first Sprint Cup Series victory in the Coca-Cola 600 mean for a driver? Perhaps everything. There are four drivers - Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Casey Mears - in the field for Sunday's 600 at ...  

Perhaps everything. There are four drivers – Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Casey Mears – in the field for Sunday’s 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway whose first career win came in this race. Three of them – Gordon ...  

The No. 43 is back on the pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway -- without a Petty behind the wheel. In a car owned by three-time Charlotte Motor Speedway pole winner Richard Petty, Aric Almirola blew the doors off his competition in Thursday night's time ...  

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte - Race Line-Up  

It's like wanting to see Babe Ruth take one more home run swing or Michael Jordan drain one last basket. This was more than a pole story. This was a feel-good story for the entire world of motorsports. How else do you explain that what normally ...  

Aric Almirola scored his first career NASCAR Sorint Cup Series pole by earning the top spot for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Almirola's lap of 192.940 mph put the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford in the number one starting ...  

CONCORD, N.C. -- It's been awhile, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte. Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598 ...  

We have bragging rights for a couple of days here anyway, so that makes all of us feel good.” Almirola, gearing up for his first series race at Charlotte, got his first pole by taking advantage of cooler track conditions late in qualifying.  

CONCORD, N.C. — It’s been awhile, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte.  

on tracks of 1.5 to 2 miles in length in 2012. Furthermore, in his four starts on such tracks this season, Almirola has yet to even score a lead-lap finish. Then again, those results all came before the arrival of Almirola's current crew chief, Mike Ford.  

Aric Almirola claimed his maiden NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole position as his team-mate Marcos Ambrose completed a front-row sweep for Richard Petty Motorsports in qualifying for Sunday's 600-mile race at Charlotte. Cuban-American Almirola beat ...  

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night, giving Richard Petty Motorsports a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR’s longest race. Teammate Marcus ...  

CONCORD, N.C. — It has been a long time, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte. Tampa's Aric Almirola took the pole for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday. Teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second ...  

"I've got short time working with these cars," said Ford, who was crew chief for Denny Hamlin's second-place run in the Cup series in 2010 but was replaced by Darian Grubb after the 2011 season. "I came in for a couple of weeks and observed ...  

Teammate Marcus Ambrose was second at 191.598 in qualifying for the Sunday night race. Almirola, gearing up for his first series race at Charlotte, and Ambrose took advantage of cooler track conditions late in qualifying. Almirola's lap was more than a ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports sweeps front row at Charlotte Marcos Ambrose was fastest in practice for the Sprint Cup cars while his teammate Aric Almirola was sixth fastest. When it came time for qualifying, Almirola went on the track five cars before Ambrose and ripped a 27.988 second lap at 192.940 mph. He was the only driver to eclipse the 28 second level. None of the cars between Almirola and Ambrose was able to beat the time that Almirola...  

CONCORD, N.C. | Pole qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 wasn’t only about speed for Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose. For both, it was just as much personal. The two drivers for Richard Petty Motorsports felt a greater sense of pride to put the most successful driver in NASCAR history back out front, sweeping the front row for Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Almirola’s iconic No. 43 ran a lap of 192.940 mph, beating Ambrose’s lap of...  

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Series points leader Greg Biffle will start fourth and Clint Bowyer fifth . "We have a great race car," said Johnson, who won the Sprint All-Star Race last Saturday night. "The cars have been very fast and it’s been a really great couple of weeks for us.  

CONCORD, N.C. — It will be the Richard ... So it was a bit frustrating over time." Martin Truex remains in contract limbo for next season, but he said Thursday he has no intentions of bolting from Michael Waltrip Racing if he has his way.  

Jimmie Johnson, who won Saturday night's All-Star race at Charlotte, will start third, followed by Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Paul Menard and Regan Smith. Danica Patrick, making her first Sprint Cup start ...  

Pole-setter Aric Almirola was feeling the heat as the front-runner for the Coca-Cola 600. Let him explain: “I think it’s very possible to lead yourself down a path here in this practice that is not going to be very helpful,” he said Saturday.  

(CHARLOTTE, NC) - Aric Almirola has the pole for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose locked out the front row for Richard Petty Motorsports for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

CONCORD, N.C. — It's been awhile, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte. Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598 ...  

CONCORD, N.C., May 24 (UPI) -- Aric Almirola won the first pole of his Sprint Cup series career Thursday, leading the qualifying for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night.  

CONCORD, N.C. — It's been awhile, but Richard Petty has bragging rights once again in Charlotte. 1. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 192.94 mph. 2. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 191.598. 3. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 191.374. 4. (16) Greg Biffle ...  

Almirola to Go 600 Miles with U.S. Air Force Showdown Has No. 43 Team Prepared for the Long Run Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports FordPhoto by: Eric Gilbert CONCORD, N.C. (May 22, 2012) - Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team will carry the colors of the U.S. Air Force this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series marks the Memorial Day holiday and pays tribute to the nation's fallen military. Sunday's Coca-Cola...  

Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night, giving Richard Petty Motorsports a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race. Teammate Marcus Ambrose was second at 191.598 in qualifying for the Sunday night race.  

CONCORD, N.C. -- The No. 43 is back on the pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway -- without a Petty behind the wheel. In a car owned by three-time Charlotte pole-winner Richard Petty, Aric Almirola blew the doors off his competition in Thursday night's ...  

Aric Almirola claimed his first pole in the Sprint Cup Series, while his teammate, Marcos Ambrose, qualified second to give Richard Petty Motorsports the front starting row for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Concord, NC (Sports Network ...  

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night, giving Richard Petty Motorsports a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race. Teammate Marcus Ambrose ...  

The officer didn't indicate what might have caused the overage. (AP) Almirola wins Coca-Cola 600 pole — Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598 ...  

Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night and teammate Marcos Ambrose finished second at 191.598, giving Richard Petty a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race.  

CONCORD, N.C. — Pole qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 wasn’t only about speed for Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose. For both, it also was personal. The two drivers for Richard Petty Motorsports felt a greater sense of pride to put the most ...  

Almirola earns first pole CONCORD, N.C. — Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598, giving Richard Petty a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway ...  

Other drivers of note set to compete include the winners of the past two Sprint Cup races at Daytona, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan; David Stremme and Tony Raines, both of whom drove for Lettow before moving into NASCAR; future Hall of Famer ...  

Other activities include a Q-and-A session with the RPM drivers and Richard Petty hosted by Miss Sprint Cup, raffles, give-a-ways and free food. Comments from U.S. Air Force Ford Fusion Driver Aric Almirola: "The Showdown was fun and we learned a lot that ...  

Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night and teammate Marcus Ambrose finished second at 191.598, giving Petty a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race. "Hey ya'll," Petty said ...  

Almirola Eager to Work Double Shift Saturday Driver Ready to Race Smithfield Ford into All-Star Event Aric Almirola Photo by: Action Sports Photography CONCORD, N.C. (May 16, 2012) - Aric Almirola hopes to be in the starting line-up for two races on Saturday night. The Sprint Showdown is already on his schedule. He hopes the Sprint All-Star race will be a late add. Almirola and his No. 43 team will bring their Smithfield Ford Fusion and...  

Aric Almirola backed up his earlier performance of the day by leading Friday's final practice session at Talladega Superspeedway ... David Gilliland, Joey Logano, Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer completed the fast ten. Qualifying to set ...  

With new Richard Petty Motorsports crew chief Mike Ford on the pit box Aric Almirola topped the speed chart Friday in both Sprint Cup practice sessions for Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Almirola ran a fast lap at 199.172 mph in the first ...  

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Aric Almirola has a new crew chief and a fast car. Almirola, in his first weekend with new Richard Petty Motorsports crew chief Mike Ford, posted the fastest speeds in both Sprint Cup practices Friday, including a lap of 196 ...  

Aric Almirola put the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford on top of the speed charts in Friday's opening Aaron's 499 practice at Talladega ... Michael Waltrip, starting the MWR No. 55 ride Mark Martin has driven for most of the season, was second quick.  

By the time Ford was replaced by Darian Grubb in his job at Joe Gibbs Racing, the fun was gone -- long gone. In his move to Richard Petty Motorsports as crew chief for Aric Almirola, Ford sees a chance to rekindle the sort of excitement that ...  

No. 55 Michael Waltrip, No. 17 Matt Kenseth, No. 24 Jeff Gordon and No. 29 Kevin Harvick were the rest of the top five on the speed chart. No. 33 Tony Raines was the slowest.  

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mike Ford, released by Joe Gibbs Racing last season after guiding Denny Hamlin to six straight Chase appearances, will take over as the crew chief for Aric Almirola at Richard Petty Motorsports. Ford will replace Greg Erwin ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports made news this week with the announcement of a crew chief change on the famed No. 43 car. Mike Ford, who was most recently with the 11 car and Denny Hamlin, replaces Greg Erwin beginning this weekend in Talladega. Ford joined ...  

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- The most fun Mike Ford had as Denny Hamlin's crew chief occurred during his first two years in that role. By the time Ford was replaced by Darian Grubb in his job at Joe Gibbs Racing, the fun was gone -- long gone. In his move ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports has hired race-winning crew chief Mike Ford to run the #43 car driven by Aric Almirola. Ford, who spent the past six years as Denny Hamlin's crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing, winning 17 Cup races and making the Chase in every full ...  

This weekend will be Almirola’s fifth Sprint Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway.  Almirola also has starts at the track in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.  His best finish at the track is second (twice) in the Truck Series.  

The veteran crew chief joins the team after leading Denny Hamlin's No. 11 team to six straight post-season appearances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Ford will join the team immediately and will be atop the pit box in Talladega. He spent the past six ...  

Ford replaces Greg Erwin as crew chief for the No. 43 team. Ford had been out of work since December, when Joe Gibbs Racing replaced him as crew chief for Denny Hamlin. The move was made after a disappointing 2011 season, and because championship-winning ...  

Almirola had his second best qualifying effort of the season, starting 11 th  in his 44 th  NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. The Smithfield/Helping Hungry Homes Ford was quickly up to ninth by Lap 40, but Almirola was fighting a lack of ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports made news this week with the announcement of a crew chief change on the famed No. 43 car. Mike Ford, who was most recently with the 11 car and Denny Hamlin, replaces Greg Erwin beginning this weekend in Talladega. Ford joined driver Aric Almirola in the Talladega Superspeedway media center Friday to discuss the change. Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports FordPhoto by: Eric Gilbert ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 43 Verifone...  

Hopefully, Ford and Almirola can work together well on short notice. It was not a surprise that Mike Ford was hired by another team. It was never a matter of him being bad at his job. Ford just didn't mesh well with Hamlin, which happens. It also does not ...  

Restrictor plate racing is all about knowing who to trust, when to trust, and when to make the right move.  Often, that means years of experience to learn the craft, and even once it's learned, things change in an instant as to how it's done.  

The familiar Smithfield/Helping Hungry Homes colors will adorn the No. 43 this weekend Almirola will compete in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown this Thursday night with Smithfield as a sponsor Aric Almirola on the Richmond 400: “From a ...  

It would be one thing if Almirola was well behind teammate Marcos Ambrose in the point standings, but Ambrose is 22nd in points – just one spot ahead in the standings – and doesn't have any top-10 finishes. And certainly the expectations for ...  

Because JGR still owed him for the final year on his contract, Ford was in no rush to climb back atop a pit box ... but for team owners, getting one of those slots is often enough to placate the sponsor. Being part of the Chase ensures maximum ...  

(SN Photo) Ford led Denny Hamlin to 17 Cup wins and six straight appearances in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup before leaving Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the 2011 season. Hamlin and Ford nearly won the 2010 championship, leading the ...  

The move was made after a disappointing 2011 season, and because championship-winning crew chief Darian Grubb was available. Ford led Hamlin to six consecutive appearances in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and 17 victories.  

Aric Almirola hopes to be in the starting line-up for two races on Saturday night. The Sprint Showdown is already on his schedule. He hopes the Sprint All-Star race will be a late add. Almirola and his No. 43 team will bring their Smithfield Ford Fusion ...  

Now he will be under an even brighter spotlight this weekend when he drives a car carrying the famous Petty blue paint scheme. Almirola loves the fact that he gets to drive the iconic No. 43 that Petty made famous, even if it means some ...  

Apr 11 19th, 45 points out of the top 10. His best finish in two starts is 21st. Although Almirola enjoyed his time off, he actually wished he was racing last weekend. "We had a lot of momentum, getting our first top-10 finish in the 43 car at Martinsville ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports Hires Chase Veteran Mike Ford as No. 43 Crew Chief Leader Brings Experience of Six Straight Post-Season Berths, 21 Wins Aric Almirola Photo by: Action Sports Photography Concord, N.C. (April 30, 2012) – Richard Petty Motorsports asserted its commitment to winning with the hiring of Chase-proven Mike Ford as crew chief for the No. 43 team and driver Aric Almirola. The veteran crew chief joins the team after...  

AJ Allmendinger hopes to build on his second-place finish last week at Martinsville Speedway and provide the consistent results expected out of a Penske Racing team. And there’s another driver who feels the same way about his own performance ...  

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Mike Ford brings considerable cachet to his new role as Aric Almirola’s crew chief, having nearly won the 2011 championship with Denny Hamlin. The move earlier in the week ended about four months worth of discussion over just...  

Ford makes his debut at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend with Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 team and driver Aric Almirola. Ford replaces Greg Erwin, who joined the organization in August following a long tenure with Roush Fenway Racing.  

Crew chief Mike Ford was back at the track Friday, focusing on his new job with Aric Almirola instead of the past with Joe Gibbs Racing. Ford was hired by Richard Petty Motorsports this week as crew chief for Almirola, and his first race is ...  

After avoiding trouble on a couple of occasions  Edwards luck ran out on lap 141. Edwards was caught up in a multi-car melee triggered when Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola ran out of fuel entering turn three. Almirola shot down ...  

BRNO, Czech Republic (AP) - Frankie Vatrano scored the winning goal in the third ... Canada will face Russia in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Mike Ford named crew chief for Aric Almirola Mike Ford named crew chief for Aric Almirola  

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Crew chief Mike Ford was back at the track Friday, focusing on his new job with Aric Almirola instead of the past with Joe Gibbs Racing. Ford was hired by Richard Petty Motorsports this week as crew chief for Almirola ...  

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) - Crew chief Mike Ford was back at the track Friday, focusing on his new job with Aric Almirola instead of the past with Joe Gibbs Racing. Ford was hired by Richard Petty Motorsports this week as crew chief for Almirola, and ...  

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Richard Petty Motorsports has hired veteran crew chief Mike Ford to take over Aric Almirola's race team.  

Mike Ford, released by Joe Gibbs Racing last season after guiding Denny Hamlin to six straight Chase appearances, will take over as the crew chief for Aric Almirola at Richard Petty Motorsports CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mike Ford, released by Joe Gibbs Racing ...  

CONCORD, N.C. -- Richard Petty Motorsports announced Monday that Mike Ford is the new crew chief for the No. 43 team and driver Aric Almirola. The veteran crew chief joins the team after leading Denny Hamlin's No. 11 team to six consecutive ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports revealed on Monday that Mike Ford will replace Greg Erwin as crew chief for Aric Almirola's No. 43 team in the Sprint Cup Series. Ford will begin his crew chief duties with the team in this weekend's race at Talladega Superspeedway.  

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Crew chief Mike Ford is back at the track, focusing on his new job with Aric Almirola instead of the past with Joe Gibbs Racing. Ford was hired by Richard Petty Motorsports this week as crew chief for Almirola. He was let go ...  

(AP) - The only questions Tiger Woods is fielding before his next tournament are from his ... becoming the first team to take a series from the Rangers this season.More >> Mike Ford named crew chief for Aric Almirola Mike Ford named crew chief for Aric ...  

It's going to be a long year for Kurt. An honorable mention also goes out to Marcos Ambrose. He's tied with Aric Almirola for 20th, but Ambrose does not have a top 10 finish whereas Almirola does. Raise your hand if you want to see the bloke win on an oval...  

With Mike coming in and calming Aric down ... The King won six of his seven NASCAR championships under the Chrysler banner — three in a Dodge. So would Petty consider a change of manufacturers? "No, we’re in really good shape,” Petty said.  

Sponsor STP and Richard Petty Motorsports are bringing back the iconic Petty Blue and STP Day-Glo Red colors on the Ford Fusion at Kansas for the No. 43 car driven by Aric Almirola. The retro look is part of the 40-year anniversary of Petty’s ...  

Aric Armirola, Marcos Ambrose sweep the top two spots for the Coca-Cola 600.  

CONCORD, N.C. -- In his first Coca-Cola 600, Aric Almirola experienced the thrill of leading the field to the green flag in one of NASCAR's biggest events, all of it behind the wheel of the sport's iconic No. 43 car. Staying up there once the race began ...  

On Saturday, fans can get a wristband for an autograph session with Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. as well as check out a Q-and-A with Aric Almirola and “The King” Richard Petty. Fans can access the Finish Line hospitality area on ...  

The drivers and teams scheduled for the test are: Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, A.J. Allmendinger, and Aric Almirola. Kahne won the Pocono 500 in 2008. Fans will be permitted to view both days of the test from the grandstand area at ...  

Aric Almirola took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 with a lap of 192.940 mph Thursday night, giving Richard Petty Motorsports a front-row sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race. Teammate Marcus Ambrose was second at 191.598 ...  

You're just anxious and waiting and waiting to hear how did you do." McMurray, Kahne, Joey Logano, AJ Allmendinger and rookie Aric Almirola collectively gave positive reports. Like other repaved tracks where there will be slick areas until a ...  

After just nine races, the team decided the pairing of Aric Almirola and crew chief Greg Erwin wasn't a fit, and Ford was hired to take over the iconic No. 43 team. ``Mike Ford is an elite crew chief who knows what it takes to be a winner at ...  

Johnson will start NASCAR’s longest race of the season on the inside second row behind pole winner, Aric Almirola (Ford). Marcos Ambrose (Ford) will start second. Johnson’s teammate, Kasey Kahne will start seventh in his No. 5 Quaker State ...  

The No. 43 STP Ford Fusion will feature the iconic Petty Blue and STP Day-Glo Red colors and will be piloted by new Richard Petty Motorsports driver, Aric Almirola. “When I signed with Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2012 season I was ...  

Richard Petty Motorsports is putting the traditional Petty Blue and STP Day-Glo Red colors on the Ford Fusion driven by Aric Almirola for the STP 400. It’s part of a weekend celebration surrounding 40 years of sponsorship between the ...  

ARIC ALMIROLA – No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion – “We were just too tight.  It was a good effort by everybody on our Smithfield Ford, but that restart didn’t help us much.  Burton’s car wasn’t as good that second stint and I kept ...  

AJ Allmendinger qualified second in his Penske Racing Dodge, Marcos Ambrose was third in a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, followed by Aric Almirola, who is running his first race with new crew chief Mike Ford.