Joe Gibbs Racing has replenished its Xfinity Series arsenal for 2024. One of the surprising additions to the roster was Aric Almirola. The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver was speculated to retire from full-time racing in 2023 after considering it for two years. Almirola will drive the #20 Toyota part-time and share responsibilities with John Hunter Nemechek.

To many, the news of Aric Almirola’s addition might come as a surprise. However, Joe Gibbs revealed the information through a slip of the tongue at an NFL game a few weeks ago. As Aric Almirola spoke to NASCAR.com about the factors that motivated him to stay in the sport and announce a homecoming to JGR, he also disclosed that Joe Gibbs had been courting him for months and the move had finally materialized.

Joe Gibbs had been planning to sign Aric Almirola for a long time

For Aric Almirola, his NASCAR career has come full circle. The veteran kickstarted his NASCAR career with an Xfinity Series debut for JGR in 2006. In 2007, he won at the Milwaukee Mile and found himself in the good books of Joe Gibbs. As he makes a return to the team’s Xfinity program, two more young drivers, Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith, are ready to make the transition.

He revealed the build-up to his return to JGR: “It was out of nowhere. I got a call from Coach [Joe Gibbs] in early September, and he said, ‘Hey, I heard you’re going to retire,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir, I am.”

“He said, ‘Well, if you are, I’d like for you to come back to Joe Gibbs Racing and retire from here.’ I was humbled, shocked, and I was excited. I wanted to stay involved in the sport and contribute somehow, in some way.”

Aric Almirola had often pondered the thought of retiring in the past two seasons. However, pressure from long-time primary sponsor Smithfield Foods forced him to stay in the Cup Series. As Smithfield finally announced their departure from the sport, Almirola decided it was time for him to move on from Stewart-Haas Racing. He realized that instead of retiring, he needed a change in pace.

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“I feel like I still have a lot left to give to this sport,” Almirola said. “I just needed to slow down. 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.”

As the conversation continued, Almirola reminisced about his interaction with Joe Gibbs when he left the team. Having nurtured his career, Joe Gibbs was sure of a homecoming for the 39-year-old driver.

Joe Gibbs believed that Almirola would return to JGR one day

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One of the many experiences that shaped Aric Almirola’s career was his partnership with the legendary Mark Martin in the No. 8 car for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. The veteran learned a lot from Martin, who was considered one of the best drivers ever to win a championship. Before Almirola left for DEI, Coach Gibbs had some words of reassurance for his protégé.

“I always thought there may be an opportunity to come back,” claimed Aric Almirola. “The day that I walked out of JG’s office, he said you’ll be back. When I left, I really felt weird about leaving because, for me, I had only ever raced for my family and Joe Gibbs Racing. I was launching out as an adult because I was leaving the nest.”

The second installment of the partnership puts Aric Almirola in a role that will most likely see him guiding his fellow JGR drivers. While Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith have good experience in Xfinity, Almirola’s invaluable Cup Series stint makes him a driver to look up to. Despite that, Joe Gibbs has always treated him like one of his own.

“I was still a kid when I got here, and JG treated me that way. He treated me like one of his own and a coach as well. So when I left to go share that car with Mark Martin, I was like, oh man, it feels risky and uncomfortable. Fortunately, I’ve been incredibly blessed to have the career that I had after leaving here.”

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Aric Almirola won an Xfinity race in 2023 at Sonoma and has some experience with Xfinity racing. However, he still has a long way to go when it comes to adapting, especially after racing in the Cup for six seasons.