Aric Almirola retiring after 2022 season

Aric Almirola, one of NASCAR's most entertaining drivers, is getting into his firesuit one last time. A video posted to his official YouTube account Monday titled "The Next Chapter of my Life..." detailed the reasons for his impending surprise retirement; foremost among them the fact that he wants to be there for his children, Alex and Abby.

"...for the last 37 years, my life has always revolved around me and what I needed to do," he said, adding, "I want to be present. I want to be the best husband and father, and that to me means more than being a race-car driver...I’ve loved every minute of it, but it’s time for the next chapter of my life.”

Almirola started his career in the Cup Series on March 11, 2007 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; from there, he became something of a journeyman driver, filling in for teams when they needed someone in their car at a moment's notice.

His rambling days were over when he agreed to a permanent position in 2012 as a driver for Richard Petty Motorsports and the legendary #43, occupying the spot previously held by AJ Allmendinger and made famous by the eponymous Richard Petty. After his time with RPM, Almirola moved over to Stewart-Haas Racing and the #10 Ford previously driven by Danica Patrick.

Two years after he landed his first full-time gig, the first of Almirola's three wins arrived with a 2014 victory at Daytona; his second and third came after his move to Stewart-Haas. His first victory with them occurred when he managed to escape the Big One at Talladega in 2018. He followed that up with a win in New Hampshire last season.

Smithfield Foods, one of Almirola's sponsors since his days with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012, was on the #10's decklid for two of his wins. The company will be with him once again for his final ride in NASCAR this upcoming season.

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Aric Almirola was almost replaced by Carl Edwards

After being sidelined for weeks following a crash at Kansas Speedway in 2012 in which Almirola suffered a compressed vertebrae, it was learned that Richard Petty Motorsports reached out to former driver Carl Edwards as his replacement. Much to the fans' disappointment as he was also one of the sport's most popular drivers, Edwards said no.