No. 43 Smithfield Team Looks to Continue Improvement
After finding consistency at the first two short tracks of the season, Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Smithfield Ford team are ready to conquer one of NASCAR’s shortest tracks, Bristol Motor Speedway. Richard Petty Motorsports put a lot of work on the short-track program since the beginning of this season, and with the Tennessee oval being one of Almirola’s favorite tracks, the team is ready continue improving their Championship Points Standing with a strong run in Sunday’s race.
With 15 Monster Energy starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Almirola’s best finish (third) came in 2014, while his best start (fifth) came in 2012. With a wreck causing Almirola to finish 34th in the spring race last year, the team looks to build off the 14th place finish in the fall and race for a win on Sunday.
Aric Almirola will be kicking off the Food City 500 race weekend at the Knoxville Expo Center in Knoxville, Tennessee with an autograph session from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are available at Food City locations for $5.00, or at the door on the day of the event for $6.00. All children under 12 will be admitted for Free.
When: Thursday, April 20, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Knoxville Expo Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
Aric Almirola will be continuing the weekend at the Food City Race Night at Bristol Motor Speedway with a Fresh From Florida autograph session from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.
When: Friday, April 21, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway Fan Zone
“Bristol Motor Speedway has always been one of my favorite tracks, so I’m really excited to be back there this weekend. We’ve been consistent at the short-tracks this year, but I’m ready to end a race in Victory Lane. I feel really good about our chances of doing that here in our No. 43 Smithfield Ford. With the weather forecast this weekend, it’s going to be really important for us to be fast as soon as we unload, and I know the guys have worked hard to bring me a car that can do that. I’m confident that we’ll be able to go to Bristol and improve on the consistency we’ve had this year.”
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 one team in competition in the NASCAR premier series with driver Aric Almirola. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and Fresh From Florida. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
