ARIC ALMIROLA
Talladega Advance
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
Event Overview
● Event: YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 1
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps / 500.8 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● History at Talladega: In 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Almirola has one win, nine top-10 finishes, five top-fives, and has led 107 laps. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the 2.66-mile oval, Almirola visited victory lane in May 2017. Statistically speaking, Talladega is the track where he’s shown the most consistency. With his third-place finish in the June 2020 race there, Almirola tied the record of eight consecutive Talladega top-10s set by Dale Earnhardt Jr., from April 2001 to October 2004. Despite seeing his streak come to an abrupt end thanks to a multicar accident on lap 57 of the October 2020 race, followed by his 15th-place finish there a year ago this weekend, Almirola’s average finish in his last 10 Talladega outings is 14.4.
● Almirola’s Cup Series win at Talladega on October 14, 2018, came at a clutch moment in the 39-year-old veteran’s career. In his first year at Stewart-Haas Racing, the trip to victory lane catapulted Almirola to the semifinal round of the playoffs. He finished the season a career-best fifth in the championship standings.
● Almirola has led laps in all five superspeedway-style races this year. He led 16 laps Feb. 19 in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 17 laps March 19 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 11 laps April 23 at Talladega, 46 laps from the pole July 9 at Atlanta, and three laps Aug. 26 at Daytona.
● Driver Standings: Almirola arrives at Talladega 22nd in the driver standings.
● Almirola’s career: In 454 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 93 top-10s, five poles, and has led 1,068 laps.
● Last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Almirola battled difficult handling conditions throughout the race while running in and around the top-15. He was contacted by the No. 48 car in the opening laps, causing him to spin with minimal damage. The No. 10 team rallied its way back for a top-20 finish.
● Smithfield has been a sponsor of Almirola’s for the entirety of his fulltime NASCAR Cup Series career – making it one of the longest-lasting partnerships in NASCAR. Smithfield is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities.
● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2023, Almirola is continuing to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season five of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and the show gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.
Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
How does the intensity ramp up when you head to Talladega?
“Talladega is always intense, but it’s even more intense at the end of the season and in the playoffs. Everyone knows they have a shot to win at Talladega if they can be there at the end. It levels the playing field, so you have all the guys racing for a playoff spot and all the guys who want to get a win in the 2023 season that aren’t in the playoffs. The stakes are high and a lot of aggressive racing happens. I love Talladega and have always seemed to find my way up front. The 10 team always brings the speed to superspeedway races and they give me a great-handling car to make it happen. A lot of guys have Talladega circled on the calendar and a lot of guys don’t love it in the playoffs. It could either make or break your playoff run. I’m excited to just get out there knowing we’ll have a shot to run up front and bring home the bacon like we did in 2018.”
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois
Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Lead Engineer: Lee Deese
Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina
Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina
Over-The-Wall Members
Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa
Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina
Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California
Road Crew Members
Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia
Mechanic: Jacob Cooksey
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York
Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York
Tire Specialist: Russel Simpson
Hometown: Medford, New York
Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina
Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia
