Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola secured a primary sponsor for backing almost 50% of his 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series calendar.
Aric Almirola's initial plan was to part ways with the sport, as he announced his retirement at the beginning of the year 2022. He did so to be the best husband and father to his family. However, the then Stewart-Haas Racing driver invested one more year in the Cup Series.
After two decades of parting ways with Joe Gibbs Racing, Almirola returned to the Toyota-powered stable for the 2024 season. Following the news of retirement circling around the now #19 Toyota driver's Cup Series career, Joe Gibbs called him in September last year, after which the 39-year-old signed the Xfinity deal.
Aric Almirola will be competing in 15 to 16 races during the 2024 season, and his first run will kick off at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Spring Race At Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Ahead of the JGR driver's initial 2024 run, he has locked a deal with HeGetsUs.
According to the sponsors, their motive is to "reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible and his confounding love and forgiveness." Almirola will receive primary sponsorship from HeGetsUs for eight Xfinity Series races, starting at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, scheduled for March 3.
Joe Gibbs Racing shared the 4x Xfinity Series winner's secured deal on their X (formerly Twitter) account:
"@Aric_Almirola will have @HeGetsUs as his primary sponsor for eight Xfinity Series races, beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday."
Aric Almirola explains the reason behind his switch from the Cup Series to the Xfinity Series schedule
Aric Almirola competed at the Cup Series level for over a decade, from 2012 to 2023. However, because of the hectic 38-race schedule, he felt the need to downsize his NASCAR stint to make himself more available for his beloved family.
Speaking with renowned motorsports journalist Bob Pockrass, the JGR driver presented his rationale as to why he opted for the role of a part-time Xfinity driver for the 2024 season.
Pockrass shared Almirola's thought process behind the switch on his X (formerly Twitter) account:
"I'm totally happy with a part-time schedule. It's like 15-16 races. If I told you [that] you could have 22 weeks off, you'd probably take it. Going from 38 races down to 16 is kind of like a soft landing."