“After much prayer, consideration and conversations with my family, I’m ready for the next adventure,” with that statement, shared on Saturday morning, it appears that Aric Almirola will officially not return to the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Ford Mustang for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
In a four-photo text statement shared to his social media accounts, Almirola gave a genuine thank you to Stewart-Haas Racing for an incredible last six years, and he issued a heartfelt thanks to longtime sponsorship partner Smithfield for their 12-year partnership.
— Aric Almirola (@Aric_Almirola) October 28, 2023
It is worth noting that Almirola did not officially state that he would be retiring from driving, but he did end the statement by saying, “As for the future… Proverbs 19:21.”
Proverbs 19:21 states, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the lord that will stand. You can make many plans, but the lord’s purpose will prevail.”
If this statement does officially mark 2023 as the end of Almirola’s driving time in the NASCAR Cup Series, the Tampa, Florida native has enjoyed a very successful run in NASCAR’s top series. Over the course of 458 starts, Almirola has captured the checkered flag three times, and he finished a career-best fifth in the championship standings in 2018 — his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing.
The 39-year-old heads into this weekend’s Xfinity 500 at the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway 22nd in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, and seeking his first win of the 2023 campaign.
Almirola showed great strength at Martinsville earlier in the season with a sixth-place run. Perhaps he can pull off a win this weekend.
