Almirola enjoying life as champion
Former UCF student Aric Almirola realizes his storybook victory at last year’s Coke Zero 400 was not a dream, although it seems like it at times.
A billboard of his likeness near I-95 outside of Daytona reminds him of the reality of his achievement.
“It is neat. When I was a kid and I dreamed about racing, I just wanted to drive race cars because that is what I loved to do,” he said.
“I never thought about the fame or stardom that comes with it. I never thought my face would be on a billboard on the side of I-95. The fact that all of that comes along with it is great, but I am still not overly eager to be famous or be a superstar.”
Almirola, who will start 19th in defense of his 400 title on Sunday night, was entered in the Subway Firecracker 250 on Saturday night.
The start of the Xfinity series race at the Daytona International Motor Speedway was delayed an hour and 20 minutes by rain.
Mother Nature assisted Almirola’s 400 win last season, the race called after 122 laps with him in the lead. But a rain-shortened victory did nothing to dampen the Hollywood storyline.
Almirola drove the famed No. 43 car owned by legendary Richard Petty to Victory Lane — Petty Motorsports’ first Daytona win since The King won the summer race in 1984.
“It was unbelievable. I said that from the beginning of starting at Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012. I said that I wanted to be the guy that got the 43 car back to Victory Lane,” Almirola said.
“That part was very special. It was really cool to see the gratitude and excitement on Richard’s face when I saw him when I got back to North Carolina after winning down here. There have been a lot of cool things that have come about because I won down here in the 43 car at Daytona on Fourth of July weekend, 30 years to the weekend that Richard won his 200th. There were a lot of special things, but for me, selfishly, it was just cool that I won my first Cup race.”
Making the tale even more unbelievable was that Almirola’s first NASCAR win came in Daytona, where the Tampa native raced go-karts between the ages of 8 and 16.
“I couldn’t have scripted it any better. Now we have one win out of the way and we have a lot more to go hopefully,” he said.
Almirola attended UCF to get a degree in mechanical engineering. At the time, he was determined to work in NASCAR at some capacity, be it as a driver or a crew chief.
He left school to chase his racing dream, joining NASCAR’s fledgling Drive for Diversity program as a young man of Cuban descent. He landed a developmental ride with Joe Gibbs, who had teamed with the late NFL star Reggie White in finding opportunities for minorities to break into the sport.
Almirola is winless so far this season, searching for more speed from race to race. He has one top-5 victory and several top-15s. He has a shot to make The Chase, but has to avoid playing bumper cars and wrecking.
Said Almirola, “We have to be more methodical about it and need to take calculate risks for sure, but at the same time here at Daytona, anything can happen.”
Anything. Like a dreamy Florida kid winning the race driving for Richard Petty.