Aric Almirola

Almirola was born on Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, of Cuban descent. He began racing go-karts when he was eight years old. At the age of fourteen, he began racing nationally, earning a pole position in his debut World Karting Association race and finishing fourth in the standings that year. Two years later, he moved up into modifieds and won several Rookie of the Year awards.

In 2002, Almirola moved to the NASCAR Sun Belt Weekly Racing Division and finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings. He followed that up with five pole positions in 2003. In 2004, he became one of the first drivers to participate in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. He also signed with Joe Gibbs Racing as a development driver under a partnership with former NFL player Reggie White. He won two races at Ace Speedway in 2004, finishing eleventh in the points standings, and added five more wins at the track in 2005. He also made his Truck Series debut with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, earning two top-ten finishes in four races.

For 2006, Almirola drove the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing-sponsored Chevy for Spears Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, as part of the JGR development program. He started every race and had three top-ten finishes, including a best finish of ninth, ending the season eighteenth. That season, he also drove nine races in the Busch Series for Gibbs in the No. 19 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, with a best finish of eleventh at Dover International Speedway. In 2007, Almirola drove the No. 18 and No. 20 Chevys for Joe Gibbs in the Busch Series, each in ten races. He won the pole for the Orbitz 300 at Daytona and again for the AT&T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile. During the Milwaukee race, Denny Hamlin took over the No. 20 car during a caution period due to sponsor commitments, ultimately winning the race, but Almirola was credited with the win as he started it. He soon requested his release and later joined Dale Earnhardt, Inc. following the sale of Ginn Racing.

In 2008, Almirola shared the No. 8 United States Army-sponsored Chevrolet with Mark Martin in the Sprint Cup Series, achieving an eighth-place finish in the 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol and a third-place start at the 2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville. He became the full-time driver of the No. 8 for the 2009 season, but lost his ride seven races into the year due to a lack of sponsorship. He then signed a five-race deal with Key Motorsports to drive their No. 40 Chevrolet Impala in the Nationwide Series. He also drove part-time in the Truck Series for Billy Ballew Motorsports, achieving a seven-race streak of finishing eighth or better. Almirola filed a lawsuit against Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in October 2009, alleging a breach of contract; the case was later settled out of court.

In 2010, Almirola won races at Dover International Speedway and Michigan International Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series, finishing second in points to Todd Bodine. He also served as a standby driver for Hendrick Motorsports, filling in for Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon when needed. In 2011, he drove the No. 88 Nationwide Series car for JR Motorsports, winning two poles and finishing fourth in points.

At the 2014 Auto Club 400, Almirola was involved in an on-track incident with Brian Scott. In July 2017, Almirola was involved in a violent crash at Kansas Speedway, sustaining a compression fracture of his T5 vertebrae. He was airlifted to the University of Kansas Hospital and released after overnight observation. In 2021, Almirola won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In 2023, Almirola won the Xfinity Series race at Sonoma, becoming the first-ever winner in the NXS at that track. In March 2025, Almirola won the Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway in overtime, securing a victory after a last-lap pass (nascar.com). He also won at Bristol and Las Vegas later in the season, contributing to the No. 19 car earning the owners' championship (nascar.com).