Almirola Looks for Bigger Finish at Newly Paved and Configured Texas Track

No. 43 Smithfield Team Encouraged by Steady Improvement

Encouraged by steady improvement of the intermediate track program, Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Smithfield Ford team are ready to tackle the new pavement and configuration of Texas Motor Speedway. Throughout the season, the team worked to improve speed off the truck and feels as they improve off the truck, they are in a better position to race in the Top 15 during the race. The team will have one practice Friday morning before qualifying on the new track and will continue to improve the Fusion’s handling for a good run on Sunday.

Almirola made 12 Monster Energy Series starts in his career. His best start (third) and finish (seventh) came in 2013. Last season, green-flag racing hindered the team from improving the car’s handling resulting in 24th and 22nd place finishes in the spring and fall races, respectively.

As part of the #KINGs80th celebration, Richard Petty and his son Kyle will participate in a feast fit for “The King” at a Speedway Children’s Charity hosted dinner. Tickets are available for the dinner, which includes a question and answer session with both Pettys and NASCAR on FOX pit reporter Jamie Little. Proceeds of the dinner will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities, Petty Family Foundation and Victory Junction.

When: Friday, April 7, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Speedway Club
Tickets: Call 817-215-8434

“So far this season, we have seen improvement in our intermediate track program. I’m looking forward to seeing more improvement this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see how the cars handle on the new service and with a new configuration. It will be important for us to unload with a fast car, so we can tweak it to the new track. I always like going to Texas. It’s a fun place and a fun race track. Hopefully, the racing will continue to be good with the new surface, and we can get a solid finish this weekend.”

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.