Will Compete in the XFINITY race in the No. 98 Smithfield Ford
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 22, 2015) – Aric Almirola and Smithfield Foods will team up with Biagi DenBeste Racing for the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Richmond International Raceway April 24. Almirola will pilot the No. 98 Smithfield Ford in his third NXS race this season at Smithfield’s home track. He is slotted to race five more XFINITY races in the No. 98 Biagi DenBeste Racing Ford.
Almirola raced the No. 98 Ford at Daytona International Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this year, where he scored two Top-11 finishes. Almirola has five career starts at Richmond in the NXS and an average finish of 16.4, with a highest finish of seventh.
“I’m really excited to run the XFINITY race in Richmond,” said Almirola. “It’s a hometown race for Smithfield, so we’ll have a lot of people cheering us on. It’s also a night race which always has added excitement. I’ve had some success there in the past, so hopefully, we’ll be fueled by bacon all the way to the Winner’s Circle.”
Located just down the road from Richmond, Smithfield considers Richmond International Raceway its “home track.” Founded in Smithfield, Virginia in 1936, the now-global food company is a leading provider of high-quality pork products such as ham, bacon, ribs, sausage, and pork chops. The Virginia-based company will also adorn the hood of the No. 43 Ford with Almirola in Saturday night’s Sprint Cup Series race.
“We’re thrilled to have added exposure at our home track, Richmond International Raceway,” said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield Senior Director of Corporate Communications. “We’re looking forward to a shot at Victory Lane two nights in a row. We’ll have a lot of guests at the track this weekend and can’t wait for them to experience all the excitement.”
Fans can watch the Richmond XFINITY race on FOX Sports1 Friday, April 24 and the Sprint Cup Series race live on FOX Saturday, April 25.
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 two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
About Smithfield
A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon to slow smoked holiday hams, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, and fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the Unites States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. The company is a brand of Smithfield Farmland, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield.
About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook’s®, Gwaltney®, John Morrell®, Kretschmar®, Curly’s®, Carando®, Margherita®, and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.
About Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Biagi-DenBeste Racing is owned by Fred Biagi and Bill DenBeste, with Lori DenBeste serving as President. Though racing is their passion, their careers have been driven by 18 wheels instead of four. Fred Biagi owns Biagi Bros Transportation with his brother Greg in Napa, CA. They started in 1978 as a transportation company but have evolved over the years into full service transportation, warehousing and logistics company offering expert 3PL services to clients across North America. You can find out more www.biagibros.com.
