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Lacking Sponsor, Almirola May Not Have Full-Time Ride

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 17, 2009

DAYTONA BEACH - When Tampa's Aric Almirola was tabbed last June to drive Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s No. 8 Chevrolet full-time this season, he finally appeared to have a stable job in NASCAR's top division.

After all, what could be more secure than a ride in the iconic No. 8 car once wheeled by Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

Well, the job isn't secure at all anymore. The combining of DEI and Chip Ganassi Racing into Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and the new team's inability to land full sponsorship for the No. 8 car has left Almirola's future in doubt.

He'll drive the car in next month's Daytona 500 – he thinks.

"Every time I think I know something, I realize that maybe I don't," Almirola said.

DEI lost sponsorship for the No. 8 car when the U.S. Army announced late last year it was moving to Stewart-Haas Racing to sponsor Ryan Newman's No. 39 Chevy for half of the races. Crew chief Tony Gibson also left for Newman's team.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, which as separate entities last year ran five cars, will run either two or three this year. Martin Truex Jr. returns in the No. 1 Chevy and Juan Pablo Montoya will drive a No. 41 or 42 car, which switches to Chevrolet from Dodge.

Almirola, 24, is awaiting word on whether he'll get to race full-time. The team is being run by Ganassi, Teresa Earnhardt and Steve Lauletta, and none have been available to field media questions.

"My goal and my expectations are to race, and that's what I firmly believe I'll do," Almirola said. "But with the financial situation the way everything is right now, there's a lot up in the air. I don't think may people would have ever expected the things that have happened over this off-season in a million years."

Since leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for Ginn Racing and a chance to drive part time at the Cup level in July 2007, Almirola has seen the absorption of Ginn by DEI and now the DEI-Ganassi merger.

He shared the No. 8 car with Mark Martin last year, with Martin getting two-thirds of the races and Almirola making 12 starts – with a best finish of eighth at Bristol in March. This is supposed to be the year in which he finally gets to run all the races.

Truex, who has solid sponsorship with Bass Pro Shops, said he feels sorry for Almirola.

"He's got a lot of talent, and I wish he could run full-time," he said. "I hope they can get that deal finished up. I think he's got a great future in the sport. It's just bad timing for him to be where he's at in his career."

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