When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
Beginner friendly
Fantastic odds
100% Deposit Match up to $100
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
There’s a reason they call Aric Almirola the Cuban Missile: His driving is fast and explosive. Well, that, and he’s of Cuban descent.
The native of Tampa, Florida started dominating race tracks at the age of 8 when he first caught the Go-Karting bug. By the time he was 14 he was a top contender in National karting competitions and had made a name for himself in his debut season winning multiple rookie of the year awards.
With that amount of natural talent, it’s no wonder Aric Almirola was destined for NASCAR limelight.
Having made his NASCAR debut in 2002 competing in the Truck Series, Aric has since gone on to represent several teams and raced in multiple NASCAR Series events.
Let’s take a look at some more fun facts and details of Almirola’s racing career.
Like a lot of drivers who made it to the bigs, Almirola’s path to the top began at a young age on the go kart track.
While his first competitive action came at 8 years of age, it was at 14 when he really started to make a name for himself with a 4th-place overall finish in the World Karting Association yearly standings.
By the age of 18 Almirola had stepped up to NASCAR and was competing in the Sunbelt Weekly Racing Division. That year he went on to finish second in rookie of the year voting.
While his career has had its up and downs, including a scary injury sustained at an early age (and another in 2017) his driving has consistently trended upward posting career high results in 2018.
Almirola got his first taste of NASCAR Xfinity Series action in 2006 driving for Spears Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. He recorded a solid first year with three top-10 finishes and an 18th overall standing at year’s end.
It only took him a year to register his first win on the Xfinity circuit as his team sipped champagne in Milwaukee at the 2007 AT&T 250.
The win was bittersweet for Aric as it was actually teammate Denny Hamlin who completed the race and enjoyed the checkered flag glory. The substitution was made for sponsorship commitment reasons.
A win at the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona in 2014 marked Almirola’s first career NASCAR win in the Sprint Cup series. It was a special moment for Almirola but a turbulent race that had spectacular crashes and was ultimately called to a stop due to rain after 112 laps.
The win came exactly 30 years to the day since the team’s last win at Daytona. After the race Almirola said, “It’s real special for me to win here. This is not only the 30th anniversary of this team’s last win at Daytona, it is my hometown and I remember growing up watching Daytona 500s and Firecracker 400s here.”
2018 was an intense season for Almirola competing on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In his 36 races he has 17 top-10 finishes including a triumphant win at Talladega on October 14. It was his second career Cup victory and his first win with new team Stewart-Haas Racing.
The win and 170 points accumulated throughout the season earned him his first ever appearance in the NASCAR Cup series Round of Eight Playoffs. He finished in a respectable 5th overall position on the season.
As well, the 2018 season marked yet another milestone in his career when, on March 26, he competed in his 250th NASCAR Cup series race.
Beginner friendly
Fantastic odds
100% Deposit Match up to $100
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
100% Deposit Match up to $100
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. 21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.