No. 43 Smithfield Team Looking for Fourth Consecutive Top-15 Finish
Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Smithfield team are just 16 points shy of a Chase spot and look for their fourth consecutive Top-15 finish this weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. With Top-15 finishes in the last three races, Almirola gained five spots and made up 15 points on the 16th position in the championship point standings.
Almirola heads to the “Monster Mile” with a lot of confidence. The Tampa, Fla., native has a history of success at the track. He scored his first Truck Series victory when he tamed the monster in 2010. He scored his best Sprint Cup Series finish at the one-mile track in the June 2012 race when he brought the No. 43 home sixth. His Crew Chief Trent Owens also brings success to the table with a Top-10 average finish in 15 Nationwide Series starts.
Looking for 4th consec. #top15, @aric_almirola made up 5 spots & 15 pts in 3 races. #43 @SmithfieldFoods team 16 pts outside #NASCAR Chase.
Just 16 points outside of a Chase spot, @Aric Almirola and the No. 43 @Smithfield team look for their fourth consecutive Top-15 finish this weekend at @Dover International Speedway. Team gained five spots and made up 15 points on the 16th position in the championship point standings.
“I really enjoy running at Dover. It feels like a roller coaster. I get excited going there because I have a lot of good memories of running well there. I got my first truck series win there, so I show up with a lot of confidence. Dover is probably one of the more physical race tracks we go to, just because of the high g-forces. The concrete has so much grip, and the banked corners really give you a lot of speed. Your body takes a bit of a beating there because of it.
“This weekend is just a little more special because there is a big focus on autism awareness. Trent (Owens) and I are going in a day early to participate in an Autism Awareness golf tournament. Building awareness is very important to Trent, and I’m glad that I can help out in a small way.”
No. 43 Smithfield Ford
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, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners STANLEY, DEWALT, Mac Tools and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.
