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Stewart Haas Racing team driver Aric Almirola finished in the top-10 at Martinsville Speedway after a couple of disappointing finishes in his previous races. His eighth-place finish marked a successful top-10 finish at the 0.526-mile-long track.
It wasn’t easy for Almirola to stay on top on the shortest track of the season. The dirty air and reduced speed compared to other top runners was an obstacle for Almirola.
The driver of the No. 10 Ford Mustang started the race from the front row and during the post-race interview, he admitted that the track was tough for him.
Aric Almirola couldn’t keep up with his front row partner Chase Elliott, as his No. 10 Ford suddenly slowed down. Further, Almirola went on to state:
“We had a great Smithfield Spiral Ham Ford Mustang tonight. It was a challenge at times. The track position game was so tough. I mean, everybody would just start running the same speed after about 30 laps, but our car would take off OK and then it would just build looser and looser in. I rolled the middle good enough and I launched off the corner good, but I couldn’t quite keep the pace as those guys that were ahead of us.”
He continued:
“All in all, it was a solid night for us, bouncing back after a couple finishes that weren’t great, so Drew and all the boys have been doing a good job. Hopefully, we can get back on a string of running up front because if we run up front, we’ll have a shot to win.”
Aric Almirola’s performance in the previous Cup Series races of the 2022 season
Aric Almirola has recorded four top-10 finishes in the first eight races of the season.
Saturday’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief added another top-10 finish. His season has also featured subpar performances at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix and the Toyota Owners 400.
Aric Almirola started his 2022 season with a top-five finish at the Daytona 500. He continued his momentum, finishing sixth in the next two races at the WISE Power 400 and the Pennzoil 400.
The 38-year-old has not won any races so far this season. Hopefully, he will win his first race at the Bristol Motor Speedway when the green-flag drops on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.
