Almirola Ready to Race on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

No. 43 Smithfield Ford Team Looks for Solid Finish at Famed Race Track

Weekend Statistics and Notes

Aric Almirola made his return to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series last weekend after missing seven races recovering from an acute compression fracture to his T5 Vertebra. Back into the swing, he looks to score a solid finish in the No. 43 Smithfield Ford at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Almirola has made six starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and in the XFINITY Series. He has a best start of fourth (2012) and finish of 17th (2013) in the Monster Energy Series. In his lone XFINITY Series start in 2015, he started eighth and finished 14th.

Weekend Chatter

“Indy is special. There’s such deep racing history there, which makes it really cool when you walk through the famed garage and race over the bricks on the track. The feeling you get when you drive down the frontstretch with the grandstands on both sides of the track is unlike anywhere we race. As far as the racing on track is concerned, it’s a tough track. The corners are so flat that you really have to be able to rotate through the corner. We’ll work really hard to get all the speed we can off the corner to the straightaways.”
No. 43 Smithfield Ford

About Richard Petty Motorsports

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.

Are you a die-hard NASCAR fan? Follow every lap, every pit stop, every storyline? We're looking for fellow enthusiasts to share insights, race recaps, hot takes, or behind-the-scenes knowledge with our readers. Click Here to apply!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

Rajah Caruth Set for a 10-Race Slate for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport in...

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport announced today that Rajah Caruth will return to the organization for a 10-race schedule during the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet.

50 Laps Added to 2026 NASCAR Cup Race at NWS

North Wilkesboro Speedway officials announced Thursday that 50 additional laps have been added to what is now the Window World 450 NASCAR Cup Series points race on July 19, 2026.

Greenlight International Announces Distribution Figures for HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Presented by Mission...

HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Live Stream Amassed over 100,000 Viewers Online and More than 29,000 minutes watched on the RACER Fast Channel

Good Ranchers Named Title Sponsor of NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race at Phoenix Raceway

Good Ranchers, an American meat company, INDYCAR and Phoenix Raceway announced a new title partnership for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ race scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026.

Best New Zealand Online Casinos