Aric Almirola Bio
Aric Michael Almirola (born March 14, 1984) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. Almirola previously competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and in what is now the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West. Across his career he earned three Cup Series victories, ten Xfinity Series wins, two Truck Series wins, and one ARCA East win.
Early Life and Background
Aric Michael Almirola was born on March 14, 1984, at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to Ralph and Emilda Almirola. His family is of Cuban descent, and he was raised in Tampa, Florida. His maternal grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, was a dirt sprint car driver, giving Almirola an early connection to motorsports through family.
Almirola began racing go-karts at the age of eight. At fourteen, he moved into national karting competition and won the pole position in his debut World Karting Association race, finishing fourth in the standings that season. Two years later, he advanced into modifieds and earned several Rookie of the Year awards while building a regional reputation.
A graduate of Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Almirola enrolled at the University of Central Florida to study mechanical engineering. He left school to pursue a full-time racing career, a decision that set the stage for his climb through the NASCAR ladder.
Path to NASCAR
In 2002, Almirola moved to the NASCAR Sun Belt Weekly Racing Division and finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings. He followed that with five pole positions in 2003. In 2004, he became one of the first drivers selected for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing as a development driver under a deal involving former NFL player Reggie White.
He ran the 2004 season at Ace Speedway, winning two races, and added five more wins there in 2005. That same year, he made his Truck Series debut with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports and posted two top-ten finishes in four starts, opening the door to a full-time national series ride.
Aric Almirola Career
Early Career (2005–2007)
For 2006, Almirola drove the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet for Spears Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series as part of the Joe Gibbs Racing development program. He started every race, scored three top-ten finishes with a best of ninth, and finished eighteenth in the standings. He also ran nine Busch Series races in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Husqvarna and Banquet Foods-sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo, posting a best finish of eleventh at Dover International Speedway. That season he also earned his first career pole at the Milwaukee Mile, qualifying the No. 20 car for Denny Hamlin.
In 2007, Almirola moved up to the Busch Series regularly with Joe Gibbs Racing, driving the No. 18 and No. 20 cars in ten races apiece. After winning his second career pole at the Orbitz 300 at Daytona, he was credited with his first NASCAR Busch Series win at the AT&T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile after Hamlin relieved him mid-race. He also drove five Cup Series races for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in the No. 01 Chevrolet following the Ginn Racing sale, with a best finish of 30th.
NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2008–2014)
Almirola was named co-driver of the No. 8 United States Army-sponsored Chevrolet for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series alongside Mark Martin, posting a best finish of eighth at Bristol. He became the full-time driver of the No. 8 in 2009 but lost the ride midseason due to lack of sponsorship. After running part-time in the Nationwide Series, the Truck Series, and Cup for several teams, he was named full-time driver of Richard Petty Motorsports’ iconic No. 43 Ford in 2012, replacing A. J. Allmendinger.
On July 6, 2014, Almirola earned his first career Cup Series victory in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. He avoided two major wrecks and was leading when rain ended the race after 112 laps. The win was the first for the No. 43 since 1999 and came exactly 30 years after Richard Petty’s 200th career victory. The result clinched a spot in the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Almirola’s first playoff appearance and the first by a Cuban driver, though he was eliminated after the first round.
Stewart–Haas Racing Era (2018–2023)
On November 8, 2017, Stewart–Haas Racing announced Almirola as the driver of the No. 10 Ford Fusion for 2018. He opened the year by leading the Daytona 500 on the final lap before a last-turn collision with Austin Dillon dropped him to eleventh. Consistency carried him into the playoffs, and a dominant run at Talladega produced his second career Cup win and a Round of 8 berth. He finished the season fifth in points, his career best.
Almirola made the playoffs again in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2021, he won the Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona and added the NASCAR All-Star Open, then scored his third career Cup win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, passing Ryan Blaney with 57 laps to go before rain shortened the race. On January 10, 2022, he announced his retirement from full-time racing, but reversed course in August 2022 and returned for a 2023 season. On October 28, 2023, he announced he would not return to Stewart–Haas Racing in 2024, ending his final full-time Cup campaign 22nd in points.
Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Era (2024–Present)
Almirola returned to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024 on a part-time Xfinity Series schedule, driving the No. 19 and No. 20 Toyota GR Supras. He won at Martinsville with the No. 20 team, earned a $100,000 bonus by winning the first Dash 4 Cash race of the season, and added playoff victories at Kansas and Martinsville. He finished seventeenth in the final standings despite only making fourteen starts, recording three wins, eight top-fives, and nine top-tens.
In 2025, Almirola partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing and the Christian organization Young Life for a nine-race Xfinity Series slate. He won the season finale at Phoenix, beating Alex Bowman by 0.045 seconds after a late-race pass of Justin Allgaier, and added playoff wins at Bristol and Las Vegas. His runner-up finish at Phoenix helped the No. 19 team clinch the Xfinity Series owners’ championship.
Driving Style and Strengths
Almirola is known for his smooth, mistake-free driving style and his patience on long runs, qualities that have made him especially strong on intermediate tracks and superspeedways. His superspeedway craft is a defining strength, with two of his three Cup wins coming at Daytona and Talladega. He is also noted for strong short-run pace and late-race strategy work, and his current Joe Gibbs Racing partnership has translated into a sharp return to form in the Xfinity Series.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include the 2014 Coke Zero 400, the 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega, the 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire, and his 2016 Xfinity Series win at Daytona, decided by 0.003 seconds over Justin Allgaier. He also holds a 2023 milestone as the first winner in NASCAR Xfinity Series history at Sonoma Raceway.
Aric Almirola Career Wins
Across NASCAR’s three national series and the ARCA Menards Series East, Almirola has accumulated 16 verified victories. His three Cup wins, ten Xfinity wins, and two Truck wins are complemented by his 2008 ARCA East victory at Dover.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Almirola has three NASCAR Cup Series wins, all on superspeedways or flat tracks: the 2014 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, the 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega, and the 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire. His highest championship finish was fifth in 2018, when he advanced to the Round of 8 in the playoffs.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Almirola has ten Xfinity Series wins. His first came at the 2007 AT&T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile, and his most recent came at the 2025 Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas, a playoff victory. He added the 2016 race at Daytona, the 2024 wins at Martinsville, Kansas, and Martinsville, and the 2025 wins at Bristol and Phoenix, plus the 2023 Sonoma race and the 2025 season finale at Phoenix.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Almirola scored both of his wins in 2010, sweeping Dover and Michigan in the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra and finishing second in the final standings. In the ARCA Menards Series East, he won the 2008 Sunoco 150 at Dover in his first series start. He also won the 2021 and 2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duels and the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 3 | 96 | 6 |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | 10 | 59 | 5 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 2 | 38 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Aric Almirola Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Almirola is the son of Ralph and Emilda Almirola, and was raised in Tampa, Florida, in a family of Cuban descent. His maternal grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, was a dirt sprint car driver, providing the family link to racing that shaped Almirola’s career path.
Personal Life
Almirola is married to Janice Almirola, and the couple has two children, a daughter named Abby and a son named Alex. In 2019, he appeared in a public service announcement for the Administration for Children and Families as part of the Responsible Fatherhood media campaign, dancing with his children.
2025 Season Performance
Almirola’s 2025 campaign is a part-time effort with Joe Gibbs Racing, tied to a partnership with the Christian organization Young Life across nine NASCAR Xfinity Series events. The season has produced a strong late-season run, with a victory at Bristol and another at Las Vegas in the playoffs, highlighting the speed of the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra team.
His 2025 schedule opened with steady finishes, and a victory in the season finale at Phoenix capped the year. Almirola took the lead from Justin Allgaier after a late-race caution and edged Alex Bowman by 0.045 seconds in one of the closest Xfinity finishes in series history. That runner-up result in the finale helped the No. 19 team clinch the Xfinity Series owners’ championship.
Looking ahead, Almirola’s part-time role keeps him active in the Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing ecosystem while giving him flexibility for family and selective competitive opportunities. His 2025 form suggests he remains a contender whenever he climbs into the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra.
