"It kind of turned the last month around" - Aric Almirola has a 'mistake-free day to secure P5 at Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway

Aric Almirola drove his #10 Built Ford Proud Ford Mustang to fifth place in the Enjoy Illinois 300 inaugural race at World Wide Technology over the weekend. It seems the new track was favorable for the #10. The last time he posted a top-5 finish was in the season opener, the Daytona 500, in mid-February.

The recent position marks his fifth top-10 finish of the season. The season has been a little bit rocky for him. Since the start of the season, the last month and a half has been a nightmare, running in the top-10 for the better part of the race but eventually ending the day in the top-20 or -30 when things turn worse.

Following his recent performance, his hopes of landing in the 2022 playoffs with a win have been rekindled. Speaking to the media in a post-race interview where he termed the day a 'mistake-free day’, Almirola said:

“It was a solid day for us. We really needed that. It kind of turned the last month around. We have been running top-10 and finishing 20th or worse the last month and a half. Really proud of the effort today.”

He added, saying:

“It was kind of a mistake free day and I ran inside the top-five all day. Drew and the guys on the team did a great job. We are just so close to having what we needed to go challenge those guys for the lead.”

His finish was somewhat predictable, judging from his starting position. Aric Almirola started P8 behind Joey Logano, who eventually carried the checkered flag at the end of the day.

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How Aric Almirola managed to secure P5 at World Wide Technology Raceway

Aric Almirola had a good start in most of the previous races, but things shifted along the way, resulting in poor finishes. This time around, he ensured he pushed beyond the limits to stay in the top-5 all day, avoiding wrecks by any means possible.

Stage 3 was much better for him as he sat in the top-3, running behind Joey Logano. Halfway through the stage, Ryan Blaney passed Almirola, sending him to fifth place.

Logano managed to edge Kyle Busch in overtime, taking his second win of the season. Meanwhile, Kurt Busch finished third, while Blaney and Almirola finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Almirola is currently 11th in the drivers' points standings with 385 points. With signs of bouncing back to the winning stage, he now hopes he will be faster in Sonoma, where he will be poaching for his first win of the season.