Hopes to come out on Top in “Crap Shoot” Race
CONCORD, N.C. (October 15, 2013) – Driver of the No. 43 Charter Ford, Aric Almirola says the keys to racing the Gen-6 car at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway are track position and aggression. The No. 43 team hopes to have both to position them for the win in Charter’s primary race with the No. 43 team.
Almirola has 13 NASCAR starts at the 2.66-mile track. In seven Sprint Cup starts, he tallied his best finish of 10th this spring. He has two Nationwide and four truck series starts at the high-banked track and posted his best finish of second in the truck races in 2009 and 2010. Crew Chief Todd Parrott has 33 starts at the Alabama track. He visited the winner’s circle twice with Dale Jarrett in 1998 and 2005. In his 19 years as a crew chief, he tallied eight top-fives, 13 top-10s and three poles at the Superspeedway.
Comments from Charter Ford Fusion Driver Aric Almirola:
“You hear everyone talk about it, but Talladega is a complete crap shoot. You go out there, try to be as aggressive as you can and keep your track position, especially now with this new rules package. The days of laying back and getting big runs and driving up through the field are over. It doesn’t really happen with this car. It will be important to have good pit stops, stay up front and try not to get shuffled out.
“You are going to have to be aggressive. We see it time and time again at Talladega and Daytona; you have to be tenacious. Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time, and sometimes, you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully, we are in the right place at the right time.
“Talladega is very mentally draining as well. That’s the one race that when it is over I need a Goody’s. I have a terrible headache. You are so focused on what you are doing, but then you are also focused on what everyone else is doing around you and it really wears on you. We’ll stay after it all day, and hopefully, luck will be on our side and we get the Charter Ford into Victory Lane.”
Comments from Charter Ford Fusion Crew Chief Todd Parrott:
“We definitely saw a bit of a different race here in the spring. It was really all about track position. You couldn’t really lay back and be able to get a run to the front like we used to. That will make having a good starting spot and good pit stops really important. The drivers will really have to be aggressive on the track to get and maintain their position. We’ll do our best to give Aric a good car and good stops, and I’m confident he can drive our Ford Fusion to the win.”
Chassis History:
The No. 43 team has prepared chassis No. 780. They posted a top-10 finish with this chassis earlier this year at the Talladega Superspeedway.
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force and STP and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Stanley and DEWALT. In addition, Michael Annett wheels the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.
