Aric Almirola will return to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) for a nine-race NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign in 2025.
The 40-year-old Almirola from Tampa, Florida, will be piloting JGR’s No. 19 Toyota Supra entry sponsored by Young Life, beginning this upcoming weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Seth Chavka will be serving as the team’s crew chief.
The news comes as Almirola is coming off a 14-race Xfinity campaign with JGR in 2024, where he made 12 starts in the No. 20 Toyota entry while his remaining two starts occurred in the No. 19 Toyota entry. During the 14-race stretch, he swept both Martinsville Speedway events and won at Kansas Speedway in September during the Playoffs, all of which occurred while driving the No. 20 entry. He also recorded eight top-five results, nine top-10 results, a career-high 415 laps led, and an average-finishing result of 9.2. Ultimately, Almirola placed JGR’s No. 20 team to a runner-up result in the 2024 Xfinity owner’s standings as he strives to contend for more victories and contend for an owner’s title in 2025.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to get behind the wheel again and have Young Life represented on the car with me,” Almirola said in a released statement. “I know Young Life was a central focus in the life of my friend J.D. Gibbs and it means so much to me to have this opportunity to bring awareness to the great work they do introducing Christ to young people all over the world.”
Almirola made his first Xfinity career start with JGR at Richmond Raceway in 2006. Since then, he has made a total of 118 career starts in the series through 13 years. Within his 118 starts in the series, Almirola has notched a total of seven victories, five poles, 22 top-five results, 48 top-10 results, 805 laps led, and an average-finishing result of 14.6.
In 2007, Almirola, who was driving for JGR, was credited with his first Xfinity career victory at the Milwaukee Mile despite relinquishing his seat early to Denny Hamlin, only for the former to be credited with the win due to starting the event. After departing JGR at the season’s conclusion, the Floridian would spend 10 of the next 16 years competing between eight different organizations in the Xfinity circuit, primarily on part-time campaigns. His lone full-time Xfinity campaign was in 2011, where he finished in fourth place in the final driver’s standings while driving for JR Motorsports.
After stepping away from full-time Cup Series competition at the conclusion of the 2023 season, Almirola ultimately reunited with JGR for a part-time Xfinity campaign in 2024. By then, he had campaigned in four full-time Cup seasons with Richard Petty Motorsports and six at Stewart-Haas Racing.
To go along with his success in the Xfinity circuit, Almirola has accumulated three victories through 460 Cup starts and two victories through 78 Craftsman Truck Series starts. Between the latter two series, he notched a career-best runner-up result in the 2010 Truck driver’s standings and made five appearances in the Cup Playoffs (2014, 2018-21).
“I am thrilled for Young Life and JGR to be partnering this season,” Newt Crenshaw, president/CEO of Young Life, said. “It’s Young Life’s goal and ministry to reach and know kids by name, engage them with fun and adventure, and introduce them to Jesus Christ. This partnership is playing a part in making that happen, as we’ll be poised to reach more kids, make a lasting impact, and show them the love and excitement that both racing and faith can offer.”
“The ministry of Young Life has played a key role in my life and my entire family’s lives and was also a huge part of my friendship with J.D. Gibbs,” Dave Alpern, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “To see that ministry highlighted on one of our race cars is an incredible blessing to me and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing.”
For the 2025 season, Almirola becomes the fourth competitor confirmed to pilot JGR’s No. 19 “all-star” Toyota entry. Justin Bonsignore, who piloted the No. 19 entry during this past weekend’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway, will return for eight additional events, beginning at Homestead-Miami Speedway in mid-March. Chase Briscoe will drive the No. 19 entry at Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May during Memorial Day weekend while Christopher Bell will compete at Darlington Raceway in early April.
Additional details of Almirola’s remaining eight venues, along with the rest of JGR’s No. 19 driver lineup, remain to be determined as the 2025 NASCAR season commences.
Aric Almirola’s first start of the 2025 Xfinity Series season is scheduled to commence this Saturday, February 22, at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250. The event’s broadcast time is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
