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Aric Almirola believes his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang No. 10 was in good enough shape to finish in the top ten at Monster Mile on Monday.
Aric Almirola finished the race 19th at the DuraMAX Drydene 400 on Monday. The race was postponed due to persistent rain on the actual racing day, which was on Sunday.
The 38-year-old had a rough time during practice and qualifying on Saturday.
However, according to him and his crew chief, Drew, he managed to fix the issues he had during the qualifying race as well as the practice section, adjusting the car to a stable condition and getting the speed on point.
In a post-race interview, the No. 10 driver highlighted his experience at Dover, where he stated:
"Man, we had a car capable of running top 10 all day. We didn’t have it in practice or qualifying on Saturday, and Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) and the guys made the right changes for the race. Unfortunately, we just got caught on pit road at the wrong time and it put us two laps down."
In conclusion, Aric Almirola said:
"All in all, we had a good car and good speed, so I’m proud of that".
Regardless of having the fastest car, he still couldn’t secure a top ten finish. This was after he was caught in the right place at the wrong time, on the pit road. The wrong move cost him two laps that kept him far from a winning position.
Aric Almirola's performance in the NASCAR Cup Series 2022 season
Aric Almirola was among the drivers who pulled off an epic performance at Dover, coming from pole 27 all the way from pole to pole to finish 19th.
Since the start of the season, he has only secured four top-ten finishes, including one top-five finish. Most of his performances have ranged from 12th place to 23rd place.
His worst performance was in the Bristol Dirt Race, where he posted a 23rd-place finish. His best performance was in the season's inaugural race at Daytona 500. When comparing his 11 race performances this season to that of the 2021 season, you can see the improvement this season.
Last season, in his first eleven races, he collected only one top-ten finish but ended the season with two wins. With his last win being in July of last year, Aric will be working hard to avoid a prolonged winning drought.
