Aric Almirola Bio
Aric Michael Almirola, born on March 14, 1984, is an American professional stock car racing driver known for his long career across NASCAR’s top national touring series. He most recently competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. Over more than two decades in the sport, Almirola has built a reputation as a consistent, hard-working competitor who has produced memorable victories on some of NASCAR’s biggest stages.
Of Cuban descent, Almirola built his reputation through a steady climb from karting tracks to national series. He previously raced full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, made appearances in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and competed in what is now the ARCA Menards Series along with its East and West regional divisions. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing roughly 161 pounds, Almirola combines a calm demeanor with the focus required to compete at the highest levels of American motorsports.
Early Life and Background
Aric Michael Almirola was born on Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and was raised in nearby Tampa. His family is of Cuban descent, and his grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, was a dirt sprint car driver who helped spark the family’s deep ties to racing. Growing up in Tampa, Almirola was surrounded by motorsports culture and developed an early love for competition.
Almirola began racing go-karts at the age of eight and quickly showed promise behind the wheel. By fourteen, he was racing nationally, and in his debut World Karting Association event he won the pole position and finished fourth in the final standings. Two years later, he moved up into modifieds, where he collected several Rookie of the Year awards and continued sharpening the race craft that would later carry him to NASCAR’s national series.
Almirola graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa and later attended the University of Central Florida, where he studied mechanical engineering before leaving school to focus on a professional racing career. His educational background gave him a strong technical foundation that has helped him communicate effectively with crew chiefs and engineers throughout his career.
Path to NASCAR
Almirola’s transition toward NASCAR began in 2002, when he moved into the NASCAR Sun Belt Weekly Racing Division and finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings. He followed that up with five pole positions in 2003. In 2004, he became one of the first drivers selected for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and signed with Joe Gibbs Racing as a development driver, working under a partnership that included former NFL player Reggie White.
During his development years, Almirola raced at Ace Speedway and won two events before finishing eleventh in the points standings. He added five more wins at the track in 2005 and made his Craftsman Truck Series debut with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, recording two top-ten finishes in four starts. These early results helped establish him as a promising talent ready for NASCAR’s national series.
Aric Almirola Career
Early Career (2006–2007)
For 2006, Almirola drove the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing-sponsored Chevrolet for Spears Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he started every race and earned three top-ten finishes with a best result of ninth. That same season, he made nine Busch Series starts in the No. 19 Husqvarda and Banquet Foods-sponsored Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing, posting a best finish of eleventh at Dover International Speedway. He also scored his first career pole at the Milwaukee Mile while qualifying the No. 20 car for teammate Denny Hamlin.
In 2007, Almirola moved up to the Busch Series on a more regular basis, splitting time between the No. 18 and No. 20 cars for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won poles at Daytona and the Milwaukee Mile, where he led the opening 43 laps before turning the car over to Hamlin during a caution. Almirola was credited with his first NASCAR Busch Series victory for starting that race, though Hamlin drove the majority of the event. Later that year, he joined Dale Earnhardt, Inc. following the sale of Ginn Racing and ran five Cup races in the No. 01 Chevrolet.
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, then became the full-time driver of that car in 2009. After losing that ride due to sponsorship, he returned to the Truck Series with Billy Ballew Motorsports and posted seven consecutive finishes of eighth or better. He also signed a one-year deal with Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the legendary No. 43 Ford in 2012, replacing A. J. Allmendinger.
Almirola’s biggest breakthrough came on July 6, 2014, when he won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona after rain halted the event with 112 laps complete. The victory was his first in the Cup Series, the first for the No. 43 at Richard Petty Motorsports since 1999, and came exactly 30 years to the day Richard Petty won his 200th career race. It also marked Almirola as the first Cuban-American driver to win in the Cup Series and clinched his first Chase for the Sprint Cup berth.
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 the 2018 season. He made the playoffs that year and scored his second career Cup victory at the fall Talladega race after teammate Kurt Busch ran out of fuel on the final lap. Almirola finished the 2018 season fifth in the final standings, the best result of his career to that point. He made the playoffs again in 2019 and 2020, reaching the Round of 12 in 2020 before being eliminated at the Charlotte Roval.
In 2021, Almirola collected his third Cup win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, passing Ryan Blaney with 57 laps remaining and holding off Christopher Bell after darkness shortened the race. On January 10, 2022, he announced his retirement from full-time racing, though he reversed that decision in August and returned to the No. 10 for 2023. On October 28, 2023, Almirola announced he would not return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024 and stepped away from full-time Cup competition.
Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Return (2023–2025)
Almirola returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023 with part-time road course starts, winning at Sonoma Raceway to give RSS Racing its first victory as an organization. In 2024, he rejoined Joe Gibbs Racing on a part-time Xfinity schedule, splitting time between the No. 19 and No. 20 entries. He won at Martinsville Speedway and earned a $100,000 bonus as the first Dash 4 Cash winner of the season. Despite starting only fourteen races, Almirola finished seventeenth in the final Xfinity standings with three wins, six stage wins, and an average finish of 9.2.
In 2025, Almirola partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing and the Christian organization Young Life to run a nine-race Xfinity schedule. He won at Phoenix Raceway after a last-lap pass on Alex Bowman, beating him by 0.045 seconds in one of the closest finishes in series history. He added playoff victories at Bristol and Las Vegas, and with a runner-up finish at Phoenix in the owners’ championship finale, the No. 19 team clinched the Xfinity owners’ title.
Driving Style and Strengths
Almirola is best known for his smooth, mistake-free driving style and his ability to deliver consistent finishes across a wide range of tracks. His technical background in mechanical engineering has helped him build strong communication with crew chiefs, including Trent Owens and Mike Bugarewicz. Restrictor-plate tracks have produced some of his most dramatic moments, with wins at Daytona and Talladega highlighting his ability to navigate high-speed pack racing.
Notable Races and Milestones
Beyond his Cup victories, Almirola’s 2014 Coke Zero 400 win at Daytona remains a career-defining moment, ending a 15-year drought for the famed No. 43. His 2018 Talladega win, 2021 New Hampshire victory, and clutch 2025 Xfinity wins at Phoenix, Bristol, and Las Vegas further cemented his reputation for rising to the occasion in big moments. His 2007 Busch Series pole and race at the Milwaukee Mile, where he led early laps before turning the car over to Denny Hamlin, also remains a unique footnote in his career.
Aric Almirola Career Wins
Aric Almirola has collected verified victories in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with additional wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Across these national touring divisions, he has built a résumé highlighted by crown-jewel and superspeedway success.
Cup Series Highlights
Almirola owns three career Cup Series wins. His first came in the 2014 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, followed by the 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega, and the 2021 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also won the Bluegreen Vacations Duel in 2021 and 2023, and captured the NASCAR All-Star Open in 2021, showcasing his speed in qualifying and exhibition formats.
Xfinity Series and Truck Highlights
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Almirola is credited with a 2007 Busch Series win at the Milwaukee Mile under unique circumstances, though he later won the 2016 Xfinity race at Daytona and the 2023 Sonoma event. In 2024 and 2025, he added wins at Martinsville, Phoenix, Bristol, and Las Vegas while running part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing. In the Craftsman Truck Series, he earned his first series win at Dover International Speedway in 2010 and added a victory at Michigan International Speedway that same season.
Aric Almirola Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Almirola comes from a close-knit Cuban-American family with deep motorsports roots. His father is Ralph Almirola and his mother is Emilda Almirola, and he was raised in Tampa, Florida, after being born at Eglin Air Force Base. His grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, was a dirt sprint car driver whose career helped inspire Almirola’s love of racing from a young age.
Personal Life
Aric is married to Janice Almirola, and the couple has two children, a daughter named Abby and a son named Alex. He participated in a 2019 public service announcement for the Administration for Children and Families, part of the Responsible Fatherhood media campaign. After more than two decades of national-level racing, Almirola has transitioned toward a semi-retired schedule while continuing to compete selectively in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing.
2025 Season Performance
Aric Almirola’s 2025 season centered on a part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with Joe Gibbs Racing, partnered with the Christian organization Young Life. He competed in nine events and quickly re-established himself as a contender, delivering clutch late-race performances that produced four victories across the year.
His most memorable moment came at Phoenix Raceway, where a late-race caution set up a final-lap pass on Alex Bowman to win by 0.045 seconds, one of the closest finishes in Xfinity Series history. He added playoff wins at Bristol and Las Vegas, and at the championship finale at Phoenix, his runner-up finish helped the No. 19 team clinch the Xfinity owners’ championship. With a second-place effort at Indianapolis following an incident with Austin Hill, Almirola continued to show the speed and composure that have defined his career.