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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 02, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 02, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola announced that he was retiring from full-time racing. Fast-forward a few months later, and the driver has made another announcement.
To be precise, he has confirmed that he is reversing his earlier decision and has inked a multi-year contract. Naturally, this spells a lot of trouble for a certain Kyle Busch and his future in NASCAR.
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Naturally, many fans reacted to the sensational news, and the response was pretty mixed.
Went to the Tom Brady School of Retirement I see
— Chase Hoven (@ChaseHoven) August 26, 2022
this is why aric almirola is the greatest of all time
— ashe! (@aassshhhhhhhhh) August 26, 2022
Multi year deal? That does surprise me
— DAW50N (@DAW50N237) August 26, 2022
Crazy to go from being done to staying on for multiple years, must be the money
— gascanman (@gascanman1) August 26, 2022
A large majority of fans were thrilled that the veteran driver is back, but many were confused about the sudden reverse Uno card. They felt that it was odd that he went from retirement to inking a multi-year deal.
READ MORE: NASCAR Driver Delivers a Big Blow to Kyle Busch as He Pulls of a Tom Brady
Some even joked that he took a page out of NFL star Tom Brady’s book.
What does the Aric Almirola announcement mean for Kyle Busch?
Truthfully speaking, this announcement has major repercussions on the driver market as there had been many rumors linking Kyle Busch with Stewart-Haas Racing.
With Almirola’s retirement, it opened up the door for Busch to snatch a seat, pending a sponsor. Unfortunately, the new announcement throws a spanner in the works and Busch is probably back to square one.
This essentially eliminates Kyle Busch to SHR rumors!
— Jim King (@JiminNC18) August 26, 2022
One less spot for Kyle Busch
— Sharon Crady (@SharonCrady) August 26, 2022
Should have been Kyle Buschs ride…
— Ray (@realRayBurgess) August 26, 2022
So I’m guessing no Kyle Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing then?
— Travis Fuguet (@TravisFuguet) August 26, 2022
Now, all that Kyle Busch can do is try and secure a sponsor and retain his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing. Or else he will have no other choice than to try elsewhere.
No doubt, there will be plenty of teams who will be lining up to try and grab his signature. However, the big question is, will any sponsor be enticed for the long term?
USA Today via Reuters
Jul 31, 2022; Speedway, Indiana, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Aric Almirola (10) during the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
The driver is obviously talented if two Cup Series championships mean anything. However, there is the fact that he has a bit of a reputation for being abrasive in the media. He can arguably be very snappy and brusque with his answers.
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But, in the past week or so, he is mellowing out a little. This is probably because the gravity of the situation is slowly hitting him.
