Aric Almirola Unfurls His “Bigger Than Just Me” Plans for His Second Chapter in NASCAR

One of the biggest power plays in NASCAR’s silly season was former Stewart-Haas Racing veteran Aric Almirola and his return to Joe Gibbs Racing. The 39-year-old will make his return to JGR, the team that kicked off his NASCAR career back in 2006, moving to a part-time role and splitting the responsibility with the phenom John Hunter Nemechek in the #20 Toyota Supra.

Speaking to NASCAR’s Kim Coon, the veteran got blunt about his new role, revealing the bigger picture of his Toyota transition as he laid out the entire plot of his sudden change from SHR to JGR.

Aric Almirola gets real about “serving others” in his new Xfinity Series role

Multiple spots were open in the Toyota camp, with JHN moving up to the Cup Series and Xfinity Series sensation Sammy Smith parting ways with JR Motorsports. But nobody could anticipate the high-stakes move that would later shock the community. On Wednesday, Joe Gibbs Racing announced its 2024 Xfinity line-up, stunning Tony Stewart and Co. at SHR.

While “The Coach” Joe Gibbs adds another car, making it a 4 car squadron, veteran Cup Series driver Aric Almirola was roped in as a part-timer to pilot the #20 car, splitting the driver duty between Nemechek and the veteran. Besides that, Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith will look to make the most of their full-time opportunities on the team.

Whereas for Almirola, the responsibility is bigger than just going racing for a win. During his conversation with the NASCAR presenter, he revealed his higher goal at JGR. He said, “I mean, for me, I think you know, would I have loved to accomplish more? Absolutely, every competitive person would, there’s always something to go and chase and you know at this point in my life I’ve spent the last 40 years”.

“I’m 39 almost 40 so, I spent the last 39 years worrying about Aric and I’m really excited about transitioning into serving others like I’m excited about this opportunity not only to race but to help everybody here on the Xfinity side to be a part of something bigger than just me.”

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With Gibbs’ masterstroke to rope in a consummate professional with years of experience in the organization’s top faction from the Ford camp, the move is certainly going to be a big lesson for the young brigade of drivers at JGR.

Almirola reflects on his mentor role at Joe Gibbs Racing

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Now, there’s an old saying that goes, “Experience is the best teacher, what she teaches, she teaches thoroughly.” And more could one ask for when you get a seasoned driver like Aric Almirola, who has made the playoffs multiple times in his 6 full-time seasons in the Cup Series, into the team.

Moreover, for a family man like Almirola who likes to spend more time with his lovely children rather than going about the busy schedule of Cup racing, this is indeed a perfect fit.

According to NASCAR.com, Aric Almirola said, “I feel like I still have a lot left to give to this sport, I just needed to slow down.” He then added, “When you’re Cup racing, I felt like I was on the treadmill at like 15 miles per hour like as fast as it would go, and you are not allowed to stop it. Like you just had to keep running as fast as you could go, and I just got to the point where I felt my legs were going to give out and I was going to get spit off the back of the treadmill.”

Shortly after sharing his thoughts about being a part of JGR’s Xfinity campaign, the veteran opened up about his mentor role on the team. When asked about what makes him the best option for the role, he simply said, “Because I’ve made all those mistakes. Not everybody learns from being told, I certainly didn’t sometimes you’ve to experience things yourself and learn the hard way.” 

READ MORE: “I Can Still Get the Job Done”- Aric Almirola flaunts Youthful Vigor As He Bemoans Martinsville Loss

Now, for the fourth and final car to be featured in 2024, the #19 will have a wide range of drivers, including the likes of Martin Truex Jr’s younger brother Ryan Truex, William Sawalich, Joe Graf Jr, and Taylor Gray sharing the opportunity, with Seth Chavka working as the crew chief for the #19.