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Aric Almirola is confirmed to still race with Joe Gibbs Racing and will return at Indianapolis. This was confirmed amid the rumors of his retirement from the sport.
Almirola returned to racing in 2023 after announcing his retirement in 2022 from the Cup Series. Currently, he races as a part-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series races. So far, he has taken part in five of the 15 races held in the season. He regularly showed up in the #19 and #20 Toyota Supras earlier but has not made an appearance since the Darlington race, where he finished fifth.
This absence from the races fueled speculation among fans about his complete retirement from the sport. He was said to be released from the team. However, NASCAR journalist Toby Christie confirmed with the team that Aric Almirola is still part of the JGR crew, and is set to return for the Indianapolis race later this season.
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Almirola took the role of a part-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series after his term with Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series came to an end in 2023. His performance in Xfinity has been remarkable so far. He finished the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond in second place and then went on to win in Martinsville immediately after.
A look into Aric Almirola's race results at Indianapolis
The 40-year-old stepped at Indianapolis for the first time in 2012, when he was racing for Richard Petty Motorsports. He finished the race in 19th place, and then 17th the next year, racing for the same team. He drove the #43 Ford at the time.
In total, Aric Almirola has taken part in a NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a total of 10 times; nine times in the Cup Series and once in the Xfinity Series (in 2015, finishing in 14th place).
He raced on the track for the last time in 2020 with SHR. This was also the time he had his career-best finish (on the particular track) in third place, starting the event from fifth. This will be the first time since that race that Almirola will step back the car at Indianapolis.
Throughout his career, Aric Almirola took part in 460 Cup Series races and won three of them. His career-best finish in the championship was in 2018, in fifth place. Interestingly, he was a full-time Xfinity driver only for one season in his career in 2011, when he finished the championship in fourth place.
