“While They Still Think Dad’s Cool…” – Aric Almirola Reveals Why He’s Retiring From NASCAR

Aric Almirola has just dropped a massive bombshell and announced that he would retire at the end of the 2022 Cup season. All of a sudden, Ryan Preece’s recruitment as a reserve driver makes a lot more sense now. Putting all of that aside for now, the 37-year-old will be looking forward to his final season in NASCAR. Almirola spoke about how this decision affects his personal life and family.

He said, “At the end of this season, I’m going to have a 10-year-old Alex and a 9-year-old Abby. I’ve got a short window to spend with them while they still think Dad’s cool. Before you know it, they’re going to have car keys and they’re going to be running off with their friends and I’m going to miss it. I don’t want to miss it, I don’t want to keep racing six-seven years down the road. My kids will be grown and running off with their friends, doing the same thing that I did when I was 16-17, and regret it. Then miss that opportunity to spend that quality time with them.”

Aric Almirola will look forward to his final season in NASCAR

In the NASCAR Cup Series, he enjoyed a 15-year long career. This includes a grand total of 388 races till the end of the 2021 season. He also managed to rack up three wins in the Cup Series and will be trying to add to that tally for one last time. Meanwhile, in the Xfinity and Truck Series championships, he registered 3 and 2 wins, respectively.

On an interesting note, he is stepping away from full-time racing. Whether this opens up opportunities for one-off appearances, is anybody’s guess. In all honesty, so many other drivers before him have done this and never fully retired from the sport, with Dale Earnhardt Jr being a prime example. Of course, nobody knows if Aric Almirola will follow this path, or fully retire from the sport.

READ MORE: “Maximize Every Single Day” – Aric Almirola on His Strategy to Advance in the Playoffs