"It's a good spot to be in" - Aric Almirola on making the playoffs on his final full year of NASCAR Cup Series racing

Since taking over the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford at the start of the 2018 season, Aric Almirola has never failed to qualify for the Cup Series playoffs.

In 2022, Almirola enjoyed the finest start of his career. He finished less than sixth in each of the first two races. In the third race, he finished sixth once more.

However, he has never finished higher than eighth, and that eighth-place performance was his only top-ten finish.

As a result, he's now in 12th position in the standings, barely 12 points ahead of teammate Kevin Harvick, and 14th in the playoff race. While talking to the media, Aric Almirola stated that:

"So, I'm very familiar with the situation that we're in. And it is it's a good spot to be in at least you feel like you're playing on your playing on house money, sort of, and you just gotta do you know."

Aric Almirola went on to mention that they need a win because, so far, they are down in points.

Last year, Almirola had a great feeling that he'd have a chance to win the race at some point and needed to take advantage of it. He feels like they're consistently racing for the lead most weekends.

Aric Almirola's performance in the NASCAR Cup Series

He had a poor start to the season in 2021, with only two top-ten finishes in the first 21 races.

Despite being well below the playoff cut line, his shock win late in the regular season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway secured him a spot in the postseason for the fourth year in a row.

For the fifth season, Aric Almirola is driving the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang. In 2022, he will be completing his 11th full-season in NASCAR's premier division.

Almirola has won three NASCAR Cup Series races and qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs five times.

In 2021, Almirola won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time and in Daytona International Speedway, he also won the 2021 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 event.

From 2012 to 2017, Almirola was a full-time driver for Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola has won three races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and two races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

While he was in a far worse position when he won last year, he may need a win this year to stay above the knockout cut line.