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ConAgra FOODS RACING: Aric Almirola NBS Charlotte Advance

Tuesday October 9, 2007

 

Aric Almirola Takes Slim Jim Monster Stick Chevrolet to the ‘Beast of the Southeast' in NASCAR Busch Series Race at Charlotte

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 9, 2007) - If Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway President and General Manager Humpy Wheeler calls his race track the "Beast of the Southeast," then it's appropriate that Aric Almirola will drive the No. 18 Slim Jim Monster Stick Chevrolet in Friday night's Dollar General 300 NASCAR Busch Series race.

Almirola will make his 19th Busch Series start of the season at Charlotte and his second behind the wheel of the No. 18 Slim Jim Monster Stick Chevrolet, and he'll do it for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), the team for which Almirola began his NASCAR career.

After beating out over 200 applicants, Almirola caught his break with JGR's diversity program in 2004. The Tampa, Fla.-native of Cuban descent quickly made the most of his opportunity. By winning early and often, Almirola advanced from late model stock cars on the short tracks of the Southeast to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and then to the Busch Series.

After being recognized at the age of 19 by JGR, the 23-year-old Almirola has since been recognized by NASCAR veteran Mark Martin. In 2008, Almirola and Martin will share the No. 8 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, a ride made famous by the sport's most popular driver - Dale Earnhardt Jr.

But before Almirola makes the next step in his meteoric rise to the pinnacle of NASCAR, he wants to get a win with the team that brought him to NASCAR.

Technically, Almirola has that win, and the record book will show that it came on June 23 at The Milwaukee Mile. But unlike most race winners, Almirola wasn't in victory lane to receive the trophy. That honor went to his teammate Denny Hamlin, who took over for Almirola on lap 57 of the 250-lap race, and then drove to victory.

While commonplace in sports car racing, co-drivers are rare in NASCAR. Yet, that's exactly what Almirola and Hamlin were in Milwaukee. And since Almirola started the race, he was credited with the win, while Hamlin, who pulled into the winner's circle and accepted the trophy, was not.

Almirola wants a race win of his own, along with a Busch beer-soaked victory lane celebration. He could very well get both this weekend at Charlotte, as he readies for his 26th career Busch Series start and his third at Charlotte.

Charlotte has proven to be a solid venue for Almirola. In three previous NASCAR starts on the 1.5-mile tri-oval, he's finished no worse than 15th. In May of 2006, Almirola brought home a career-best Craftsman Truck Series finish of ninth. A year ago this weekend, he drove the No. 19 JGR Chevrolet to a 15th-place finish in the Busch race. And at this past spring's Busch race, he did one better by piloting JGR's No. 18 entry to 14th-place result.

Almirola is poised for his first victory with the No. 18 team Friday night under the lights at Charlotte. With his immediate racing future locked into place, Almirola feels there is nothing to lose, leaving him to go about his business this weekend more focused than ever on doing whatever it takes to win. And going out a winner would be the sweetest parting gift he could imagine.

Practice for Friday's Dollar General 300 takes place on Thursday. Qualifying is set for 4 p.m. EDT on Friday with live coverage by ESPN2. Race time is 8 p.m. with ESPN2's live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Aric Almirola - driver of the No. 18 Slim Jim Monster Stick Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Charlotte:

Charlotte has been one of your more successful tracks in your relatively brief NASCAR career thus far. You must be looking forward to getting back there this weekend, correct?

"I've had a couple of good runs there in a Busch car and I ran well there in a (Craftsman) Truck. I'm looking forward to going there this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to finishing out my time at Gibbs with a really strong run. They've been really good to me and I just hope I can bring home a win, or at least a good run. I'd really like to get a win for them. Their cars are proven winners. Denny (Hamlin) has done it, and the 18 car has come close. Hopefully, we can get them what they deserve."

What is your outlook for this weekend's race?

"We'll have a good race car. We always do. Charlotte is a pretty tricky place since they repaved it. The track is pretty slick, and the tire that Goodyear brings is really hard. With that combination, you tend to slide around a bit when the tires are cold and new. But it seems the longer you run on the tires, the better they get. Hopefully, we'll hit on something that'll make our car take really off when the tires are newer, and make the car get through a long run without getting too tight. That's the balance we'll be looking for."

How are you feeling about where you are in your career? Are you where you thought you'd be?

"I'm happy with where I'm at. A year ago, at this Charlotte race, I was running a full-time Truck deal and about nine Busch races. Then, this year, I ran a partial Busch schedule with some (Nextel) Cup races. I would've liked to have run a full Busch schedule, but the opportunity just wasn't there. Now, with my switch over to DEI, I'm pretty excited about that and pretty excited about what the future holds. It does change things a little bit. I have something set for the next couple of years, so I don't necessarily have to tip-toe around. I still have a lot to learn and I still want to bring home a good finish. But before, it was a situation where I was just trying to keep a job. Now, I have a job and I have a future and it takes a little bit of the pressure off. I can relax and go racing and have fun. I'm excited about this weekend. These 18 guys have had a rough couple of weeks, so hopefully I can help them turn it around."

The Car
Chassis No. 1874: To date, this chassis has five Busch Series races under its belt. Its first start came at California Speedway in February, where Tony Stewart drove it to a solid 11th-place finish. Prior to California, it only had 10 laps of track time at the hands of Almirola during an early February test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Almirola returned to Chassis No. 1874's seat when the Busch Series visited Charlotte (N.C.) in May. There, Almirola qualified 38th and picked up 24 positions to finish 14th. Almirola was back behind the wheel of Chassis No. 1874 at Chicagoland where he started third but finished in 38th after an accident early in the race. Chassis No. 1874 made its fourth start at California in September with driver Kevin Conway taking the green flag in 27th and finishing in 20th. The most recent outing for this Chassis was at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago. Conway again drove the car, starting 25th and finishing 35th after battling an ill-handling race car for much of the race. Chassis No. 1874 will make its sixth start of the season in Friday's Dollar General 300 at Charlotte.

Aric Almirola's Career At-a-Glance
Almirola will make his 26th career Busch Series start - all of which have come with Joe Gibbs Racing - on Friday, Oct. 12, driving the No. 18 Slim Jim Monster Stick Chevrolet in the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will mark Almirola's third career start at Charlotte. Both of his previous starts - last fall and this past spring - resulted in top-15 finishes. Almirola's first career Busch start came at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in May 2006. Almirola has scored four Busch Series poles and is credited with a win as he and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin co-drove to victory at The Milwaukee Mile June 23.

Ø Almirola has four Busch Series poles, three of which came this year. Almirola won the pole for the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.), at Milwaukee for the second straight year, and then at Indianapolis, where he went on to finish sixth.

Ø Prior to 2007, Almirola ran the entire 2006 season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while making nine starts in the Busch Series. His best Craftsman Truck Series finish was ninth (Charlotte, N.C.) and his best Busch Series finish was 11th (Dover, Del.).

Ø Three years ago, Almirola was getting ready for a full season of late model stock car racing at the .4-mile Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C. Recently named to Joe Gibbs Racing's driver development program via the diversity initiative created by Joe Gibbs Racing and the late Reggie White, Almirola was on the doorstep of opportunity. After scoring two wins, six top-fives and 15 top-10s in 2004, Almirola began climbing the NASCAR ladder. The Tampa, Fla., native of Cuban descent traversed the Southeast in 2005 competing in regional late model races, and by the end of the year, was running a limited schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Two top-10 finishes in four Truck Series starts led to a full-time Truck Series ride and a nine-race Busch Series schedule in 2006.

Ø After being introduced to racing by his grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, Almirola wanted to be more than just a spectator. He began racing go-karts when he was eight, and after winning many races and local titles in and around his home state of Florida, he took his talent to the national karting scene in 1998. He quickly made his presence known, qualifying on the pole for the World Karting Association Grand Nationals at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium before finishing fourth in the season-ending point standings.

Ø At 16, Almirola graduated to open-wheel modifieds - 2,750-pound race cars that put out over 700 horsepower. In 2000 he won the rookie of the year title in two separate modified divisions - Florida Modified and SARA (Southern Automobile Racing Association) Modified, while garnering his first career win in the Joslin Memorial 100 at Orlando (Fla.) Speedworld, beating the top drivers in Florida.

Ø In March 2002, Almirola advanced from open-wheel modifieds to the Sunbelt Super Late Model Division, where he finished runner-up in the rookie of year standings. Almirola continued in that division in 2003, winning three poles at USA Speedway in Lakeland, Fla., two poles at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway and one pole at Bronson (Fla.) Speedway.

Ø Almirola caught his break with Joe Gibbs Racing's diversity program in 2004 after beating out nearly 200 applicants.

ConAgra Foods
Slim Jim Monster Sticks have twice as much meat as Slim Jim Giant and are available in Original and Tabasco® Spiced flavors. Slim Jim® is a product of ConAgra Foods, Inc. ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE:CAG), is one of North America’s leading packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers as well as restaurants and other food service establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, Reddi-wip, PAM and many others.

- ConAgra Foods Racing -

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