JR Motorsports: Fired Up with a Double Top-10 Finish

Courtesy of JR Motorsports' Facebook page

Aric Almirola had another chance to race against "boss man" and JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Saturday in the Aaron's 312 Nationwide race at Talladega.

The two paired up for some drafting, and both were spotted by TJ Majors … their communication was friendly, helpful and sometimes comical. Earnhardt Jr., in the No. 7 Suave Men's Chevy, advised Almirola, in the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevy, throughout the race. Almirola cracked a joke at one point: “All I see is Suave and a red tail light, I could drive with my eyes closed right now.”

Earnhardt Jr. had also at some points told Almirola to take advantage of the wind and at another point telling Almirola to go ahead.

After a busy morning, which included qualifying in fourth place for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race, he started the Aaron's 312 in third and finished in eighth. A victory for Earnhardt Jr. would’ve been sweet for him and JR Nation; however, he wouldn’t have won driver points, just owner points. He finished in eighth, after avoiding a scary wreck involving Mike Wallace.

Almirola finishes in 10th and for him, that means gaining points toward a Nationwide championship, his ultimate goal. He moved up to sixth today, placing him 11 points away from the top spot. He mentioned to his boss that he didn’t really like two-car drafting and that he didn’t get it; Earnhardt Jr. agreed with him.

Talladega is a place where anything can happen, and the "Big One" did happen today with a 21-car crash. Fortunately, the JRM drivers were in the clear, and they also missed the crashes in the final laps.

Mike Wallace spun out and went airborne; Earnhardt Jr. moved to avoid hitting him and accidentally bumped Carl Edwards, which led him to spin out.

This was Earnhardt Jr.’s final scheduled race for Nationwide this season (things could always change); next week, Almirola and Josh Wise will be heading to Nashville, Tenn.