Aric Almirola to the 43

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KingGlamis

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Aric Almirola, who finished fourth in points in the Nationwide Series this season, has emerged as the leading candidate to take over the legendary No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series in 2012, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. The deal, which has come together very quickly, will be officially announced after the Christmas and New Year's holidays and will include a sponsor announcement, multiple sources confirmed Friday night.

http://www.thatsracin.com/2011/12/23/80170/almirola-leads-the-way-to-drive.html
 
wonder who the sponsor is? mixed about aric signing with rpm. glad he got a full-time (is it?) ride in cup. going to rpm...not where i'd prefer him to go. it's a start though. :)
 
SlowNeasy said:
wonder who the sponsor is? mixed about aric signing with rpm. glad he got a full-time (is it?) ride in cup. going to rpm...not where i'd prefer him to go. it's a start though. :)
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I'd think the 43 team would definitely hire only one driver as a full-time driver.
 
If Aric can get a full-time CUP ride, I am all for it!!!

Go Get 'em, AA!

You're gonna be driving for RPM and it would be way cool to see sponsorship from STP!

...just sayin...
 
Yeah, this is shocking. If this happens, I wonder if they will put Josh Wise in the #88 car for the Nationwide Series.
 
Reading between the lines ..it looks like he may have brought a sponsor with him .
 
This kids name has been hot in racing for a while, why did Gibbs let him get away? Does he have some kind of hangup that has kept him out of a top ride?
 
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN said:
This kids name has been hot in racing for a while, why did Gibbs let him get away? Does he have some kind of hangup that has kept him out of a top ride?
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IMO, Aric was on a path to become the next Justin Allgaier. I'm not sure he has it together yet, but since he began working with Pops, he's calmed down a bit. Pops did wonders for Brad too. Learn to drive a tight car first, than I'll losen it up and turn you loose.
 
FenderBumper said:
That would make sense. Aric didn't do a whole lot with a team Brad finished as top NW driver twice.

It's looking like nobody wants Ragan.
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No offense, but your ability to work Keselowski into nearly every conversation is without compare :D

Have a good Christmas.
 
#17D500winner said:
No offense, but your ability to work Keselowski into nearly every conversation is without compare :D

Have a good Christmas.
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Really? I guess I need to apologize that it wasn't Joe Smith who drove the 88 to the 2 best years it's ever had while Aric drove the 88 and ended up 127 points (500 the old way) behind Stenhouse. :D
 
kkfan91 said:
hmm I'd assumed it be Ragan
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Sounds like Ragan has become the official red headed step child of the garage. Not that he has done a whole lot to keep himself from that status in the last few years.
 
Petty announced this morning that they will make an official statement on this today. Stay tuned...
 
UPDATE 5: Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that Aric Almirola will drive the legendary #43 Ford Fusion in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition beginning in 2012. Almirola has made 35 starts in the Sprint Cup Series, his most recent stint coming in 2010 when he finished the last five races of the season in the #9 Ford. During the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Almirola posted a career-high, fourth-place effort. Almirola drove a JR Motorsports entry [#88 Chevy] in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2011 and capped off a successful season with a fourth-place finish in the championship point standings. "One of the things I am most excited about is to have the chance to drive a car as iconic as the #43," stated Almirola. "There is so much history surrounding that number and to have my name above the door will be really special for me. This is the first real opportunity I've had to drive in the Cup Series full time. Last year the #43 team had a lot of speed and was competitive on a weekly basis. Greg Erwin is a great crew chief and I'm excited to work with him. Everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports has a lot of enthusiasm and drive and I'm really looking forward to getting to work."
Almirola will join a team that is poised to compete for a spot in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Paired with veteran Crew Chief Greg Erwin, Almirola will get behind the wheel for a team that earned one top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 2011 en route to a 15th-place finish in the owner point standings.
"We are thrilled to welcome Aric Almirola into the RPM family," said team Co-owner Richard Petty. "We feel extremely fortunate to have had a number of very talented drivers interested in joining our organization, but ultimately we felt Aric would be the best fit for the team and for our current and potential partners. We have had the chance to watch his progress for the past several years and we had success with him in the past. We are really confident in his potential as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. We think Aric has all the makings to be the next bright star in our sport." (http://www.facebook.com/notes/richard-petty-motorsports/aric-almirola-signs-with-richard-petty-motorsports/10150463552986274)
 
Another Florida boy makes good. I hope that he can get proper sponsorship so they can race.
 
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