No. 43 Smithfield Ford Looking to Continue Point Standings Climb
Aric Almirola is looking forward to returning to Dover International Speedway, but he knows that mayhem is always waiting to break loose at the “Monster Mile”. Statistically his best race track, Almirola is hoping for a strong run at the one-mile oval as he rides the positive momentum of a jump in the Championship Point Standings after Kansas. An 18th-place finish moved Almirola up two spots to 22nd in the standings.
The No. 43 Smithfield Ford currently sits in the hand of Miles the Monster outside of the storied track. Put there at the start of Autism Awareness Month, the AAA 400 Drive for Autism is a special event for the entire Richard Petty Motorsports team. Almirola and Crew Chief Trent Owens will compete in Thursday’s 15th Annual Drive for Autism Celebrity-Am Golf Outing, and the No. 43 Smithfield Ford will also race in Sunday’s main event with Gray Owens’ name above the door. The son of Trent Owens, Gray is autistic and celebrated his ninth birthday this week.
Dover International Speedway is statistically Aric Almirola’s best track with an average finish of 14th place. He’s raced at the track eight times in the Sprint Cup Series, and he finished in the fifth position both times he visited Dover in the 2015 season. Five seems to be Almirola’s lucky number at the track as he also has a best start of fifth in 2013’s spring race. Almirola won a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the track in 2010.
Smithfield will once again host the Whole Hog Challenge on Sunday morning at the Smithfield display in Dover’s Fan Midway. Pre-selected fans will compete to eat eight Smithfield ribs the fastest. The contest will be judged by Aric Almirola and “The King” Richard Petty. The winner of the Whole Hog Challenge will go to Miami at the end of the 2016 season to compete in the final round of the challenge to attempt to be crowned the champion.
When: Sunday, May15 at 9:10 a.m.
Where: Smithfield Display in the Fan Midway at Dover International Speedway
Immediately following the Smithfield Whole Hog Challenge, Almirola and Brian Scott, driver of the No. 44 ACME Ford, will lobby for your vote in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Fan Vote. The debate will be moderated by Miss Sprint Cup, and each driver is willing to do whatever it takes to secure your vote!
When: Sunday, May 15 at 9:35 a.m.
Where: Smithfield Display in the Fan Midway at Dover International Speedway
Fans can get in the car with Almirola by listening to his live in-car radio feed on SiriusXM Radio Channel 134 during the AAA 400 Drive for Autism.
“Dover drives like a giant Bristol, but it has its own unique characteristics. This is the only race track on the circuit where the sensation of speed is higher than how fast you’re actually going. Top speeds there are maybe 170 or 180 mph, but it feels like we’re going about 300. The corners are about two stories below the straightaway there, so we really launch off the straightaways and down into the corners. But, they call it the ‘Monster Mile’ for a reason. Miles the Monster will jump out a bite you if you don’t pay him the respect he deserves. So you really have to really attack the race track but know when Miles is getting ready to bite and be prepared for it.”
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 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 with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the “Fresh From Florida” campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports will also field the No. 43 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series with driver Jeb Burton, who will compete in his first full-time XFINTY season with partner J. Streicher. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
