Almirola's Return Built on Foundation of Family and Partnerships

Aric Almirola had planned to retire from racing at the close of this season. However, a series of events has led to him continuing his career behind the wheel of Stewart Haas Racing’s No. 10 for a minimum of two additional years, extending his career through the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Without long-term partner Smithfield Foods, none of this works.

Smithfield seemed likely to leave at the season’s end. Almirola chose to spend more time at home with his wife and young children, finding it more attractive than the time needed to secure new sponsorship and potentially a new ride.

Throughout this season, the new leadership team at Smithfield gained more insight into their partnership with Almirola and Stewart-Haas. This led to discussions about potentially maintaining their collaboration for the foreseeable future.

That implied persuading Almirola to come out of retirement if he was at all receptive.

Almirola admitted that the process took a few weeks and involved a lot of discussion. Questions about the nature of the sponsorship, whether it would be scaled back, maintained or increased, and how these changes would impact him personally, were all part of the dialogue.

“Will they sponsor for half the year, and is it our responsibility to find a sponsor for the other half?” All these issues were crucial in sorting out all the details.

Almirola states that Smithfield has returned to its commitment level from 2018-19.

“The initial question they posed was, ‘Would you reconsider retirement?’ My response was, ‘I need to think about it, discuss it with my wife, Janice, and pray about it.'”

He agreed, but it would necessitate ‘x, y, and z’. After a few more weeks spent finalizing the details, the contract was signed within the last week.

Almirola’s introspection included understanding how his children, aged 10 and 9, felt about his decision. His rapid commitment to retirement was partly due to his firm belief that he wanted to devote more time to them while they were still young, to create significant memories together.

Almirola expresses their excitement to remain in the driver’s lot and continue attending races with their father.

“Both Alex and Abby were thrilled to continue being here,” Almirola expressed. “One thing people need to understand is that Alex attended his first race when he was merely a month old. He was born on September 4th and by October, he was at his first race in Talladega. Abby, on the other hand, was born on Thanksgiving Day in 2013. She attended her first race, the Daytona 500, at three months old. Therefore, our children don’t know any other life beyond the racetrack. They’re not really sure what existence outside the track even looks like, which led to a bit of uncertainty for them.”

They were uncertain about wanting to leave the community and friends they had established around NASCAR, particularly if their dad was still capable and interested in participating.

Almirola stated, “They were anxious about the possibility of not seeing their friends from the racetrack once we finished racing. They have friends at school and at the racetrack, where they spend their weekends. However, they were relieved to learn that they could continue coming to the racetrack.”

Almirola anticipates continuing his partnership with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, who became part of the organization this season after a successful spell at Front Row Motorsports, which included a Daytona 500 win.

“Drew has been an excellent new member of our racing team,” commented Almirola. “He’s an exceptional team leader and is very popular among the team members. I personally find it a pleasure to work with him. Collaborating with Drew this year has been truly enjoyable and as far as I’m aware, our plan is to continue with him. If this were to change, it would certainly be news to me.”

Almirola feels that with Blickensderfer and Stewart-Haas, he has what it takes to stay competitive. While this is important to him and his team, ultimately, it’s his family’s desire to continue this journey with him that has brought Almirola back.

“Approaching retirement, I felt strongly about ensuring this journey is one we take together, hand in hand as a family,” said Almirola. “We need to fully immerse ourselves in it, embrace and truly value this opportunity. When my children were younger, it was simpler. They wouldn’t remember. However, now that Alex is nearly 10 and Abby is almost 9, the dynamics have changed.”

“I wanted to ensure this period of their life, which they’ll remember forever, was well-handled. I believe the lessons I’ve learned will guide me throughout my life to balance my profession with my roles as a husband and a father. I don’t intend to compromise my dedication to my family for professional success, nor do I want to be a lesser professional due to familial responsibilities.”