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Almirola Says He Is Sticking With Gibbs

By TONY FABRIZIO The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 28, 2007

Though he still is "not happy" about being pulled for Nextel Cup star Denny Hamlin during Saturday's Busch Series race at Milwaukee, Tampa's Aric Almirola said Wednesday he isn't frustrated at Joe Gibbs Racing and has no plans to leave the team.

He said there is no truth to a rumor that appeared on ESPN-owned Web site Jayski.com saying he is headed to Ginn Racing next year and will race the No. 01 Chevrolet full time in Nextel Cup in 2009.

"I'm under contract at JGR," Almirola, 23, said on a national conference call. "I have a long history with them. I've been there since I was 18 years old. I started racing late models with them, and they've become like family to me. I see our relationship growing."

Almirola was supposed to practice and qualify JGR's No. 20 Chevy at Milwaukee, but after winning the pole, he was called on to start the race when Hamlin was delayed in arriving from the Nextel Cup event at Sonoma, Calif.

While Hamlin's pilot was trying to find a place to land his helicopter, Almirola led the first 43 laps of the race. Then came the heartbreaking news that Hamlin would be taking over. Devastated, Almirola got out of the car and left the track without comment.

Hamlin went on to make up the lap that was lost during the driver change and win the race for longtime JGR sponsor Rockwell Automation, which is based in Milwaukee.

Almirola - credited with the win because he started the race - met with JGR owner Joe Gibbs and president J.D. Gibbs this week to talk about their decision. He said Wednesday that while he understands they were trying to take care of a sponsor that hasn't decided whether it is returning next year, he doesn't agree with the decision.

"Nobody ever wants to get pulled out of any event - no quarterback, no baseball player, no true athlete," Almirola said. "Especially when you're in a situation where you feel like you can win. There have been days when I've been running around in 37th wishing somebody would please, please ask to relief drive for me. But when something like this happens, it's always when things are going good."

Almirola is scheduled to run six more Busch races, including the July 6 event at Daytona, and he said one race may be added. He is competing in the Craftsman Truck Series race this weekend at Memphis and will enter a couple of Nextel Cup Car of Tomorrow races this year with JGR's research and development team.

He reiterated Wednesday that he hopes to race full time in at least the Busch Series next year.