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Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Residence: Huntersville, NC
Birthdate: March 14, 1984
Aric Almirola was one of Joe Gibbs Racing's first prospects via the diversity program founded by Gibbs and the late Reggie White, an initiative that traces its roots back to May of 2003. In partnership with White, a Hall of Fame defensive end who played in the National Football League, JGR formed the diversity program to create a grassroots stock car team that would identify and assist minorities with the desire and talent to make a career in motorsports. And in January of 2004 the diversity program became a reality, thanks in large part to the support of JGR's sponsors, including Rockwell Automation.
Almirola, a Tampa, FL native of Cuban descent, began his JGR career driving a late model in NASCAR Weekly Racing Series at the 4-mile Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, NC in 2004. After scoring two wins, six top-fives and 15 top-tens, Almirola traversed the Southeast, competing in regional late model races. By the end of 2005, Almirola was running a limited schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which led to a full-time Truck Series ride and a nine-race Busch Series schedule in 2006. On tap for 2007, Almirola has a slate of 18 Busch races (10 races in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet) and 4 Nextel Cup races.
In his first race of the 2007 season, Almirola collected the Busch Pole award at Daytona International Speedway, his second Busch Pole in just 10 Busch Series starts. His first pole came on June 24, 2006 at the Milwaukee Mile when Almirola qualified the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet for regular driver Denny Hamlin, who was commuting from the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.
Almirola began racing go-karts when he was eight. After success at local tracks, he quickly advanced to the national karting scene. At 16, Almirola graduated to open-wheel modifieds. In 2000, he won the rookie of the year title in two separate modified divisions — Florida Modified and SARA (Southern Automobile Racing Association) Modified, while garnering his first career win in the Joslin Memorial 100 at Orlando (FL) Speedworld, beating the top drivers in Florida.
In March 2002, Almirola advanced from open-wheeled modifieds to the Sunbelt Super Late Model Division, where he finished runner-up in the rookie of the year standings. Almirola continued in that division in 2003, winning three poles at USA Speedway in Lakeland, FL, two poles at New Smyrna (FL) Speedway and one pole at Bronson (FL) Speedway.
Almirola was introduced to racing by his mother's father — Sam Rodriquez, a Florida native. Almirola's father, Ralph, came to the United States from Cuba at age four during the Freedom Flights of the mid-1960s. Almirola's mother is Lynette.
