Almirola and No. 43 Team Look to Continue the Veterans Day Celebration with a Stop in Victory Lane

Aric Almirola is still has a seven point advantage for the top non-Chase spot in the Championship Point Standings. Looking for the best points finish they can, the No. 43 U.S. Air Force team will look to compete up front this weekend. The team had great success at the high-banked, one mile Dover International Speedway scoring two Top-Five finishes this season. They also showed consistency at the low-banked, one mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway where they scored a Top-15 finish in the summer and after their best start at the track an accident early in the fall race relegated the team to a 43rd-place finish. They’ll work to translate the success they’ve found at the one mile tracks this year to the low banking, one-mile track in Phoenix.

Almirola has nine Sprint Cup Series starts under his belt at the Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. He scored three Top-15 finishes with his best finish of 12th scored in the 2012 spring race. He also tallied six XFINITY Series starts where he posted two Top-10 finishes and won a pole. He scored his best finish of sixth in 2010.

Fans at Phoenix International Raceway will have the opportunity to see the second flyover ever by the F35. The F35 will replace the U.S. Air Force’s aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt II’s, which have been the primary fighter aircraft for more than 20 years, and bring with it an enhanced capability to survive in the advanced threat environment in which it was designed to operate. With its aerodynamic performance and advanced integrated avionics, the F-35A will provide next-generation stealth, enhanced situational awareness, and reduced vulnerability for the United States and allied nations.

Almirola will also make an appearance at the U.S. Air Force display in the fan midway Sunday at 9:20 a.m. to sign autographs for fans.

“We’ve lost some of our consistency lately and are really working hard to get that back this weekend at Phoenix. We are in a fairly tight race with Kasey (Kahne) for the 17th spot in points. Other than getting a win before the season ends, our goal is to finish the best we can in points. We always see good racing at Phoenix, especially with so much on the line for the guys still in The Chase. The track is so unique. The dogleg in the back puts on interesting restarts. It’s gotten really tough to pass, so we usually see exciting restarts there. We’ve been really good at the mile tracks this year and have run the in the Top-15 in all of them. A good finish this weekend would be just what we need to head into the final race of the year.”

No. 43 Air Force Ford

A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, 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 and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.