Fast Facts: Aric Almirola

Aric Almirola takes over the historic No. 43 Smithfield Foods/US Air Force/STP Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012, following a fourth-place finish in the Nationwide Series points in 2011. Learn about Almirola’s career in this edition of Fast Facts.

• Almirola was born March 15th, 1984 in Tampa, Florida and is of Cuban descent. He began racing go-karts at age 8 and began racing nationally at age 14. He briefly attended the University of Central Florida (Mechanical Engineering), but left to pursue a career in auto racing.
• Almirola signed with Joe Gibbs Racing as a development driver in 2004. In 2005, he made his Truck Series debut with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, following that up in 2006 with a full season in the NCWTS with Spears Motorsports; he also drove in nine Nationwide Series races for JGR, and another 20 in 2007.
• Almirola drove in all three of NASCAR’s top series – Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks – over the next few seasons, driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Key Motorsports, Phoenix Racing, Billy Ballew Motorsports and others. In 2011, he raced full-time in the Nationwide Series for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports in the #88 Chevrolet.
• Find out more about Almirola at richardpettymotorsports.com.