Aric Almirola

Business mergers happen behind closed doors, rumors proliferate in open air. The recent merger of Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. seemed to take place so fast that rumors didn't have time to lift off. Days before the significant team union, Ginn Racing had made major driver changes bringing in Aric Almirola from Joe Gibbs Racing.

One day at GR a bold youthful maneuver ousted Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin for young rockets Regan Smith and Aric Almirola. Not many days later Regan Smith was without a Cup ride and Aric Almirola had his seat in the 01 Army car at DEI with Mark Martin as co-driver and mentor.

All within days Tampa resident Almirola, 23, graduated from his four year diversity development program at JGR to share a steering wheel with Martin first at GR and then at DEI. Almirola claims he had no idea a merger was in the works and that he felt compassion for Regan Smith.

"It wasn't like I went in there and knifed him in the back," Almirola said. "We were supposed to be teammates."

Almirola had good things to say before and after the merger.

After merger:
"Once everything came out that they were going to DEI, I definitely didn't think I had made the wrong decision. I think it's one of the best things that could happen."

Before merger:
"I am so excited about this opportunity," said Almirola, "To share a ride with Mark Martin and have him as a driving coach is awesome. I want to thank everyone at Ginn Racing for believing in me and also to all of the people who have supported me along the way. I just can't wait to get on with this ride. It's going to be such an honor to represent the U.S. Army and all of our soldiers. Wearing the Army uniform will mean so much to me."

"I can't thank Joe Gibbs Racing enough for what they've done for me," added Almirola. "They allowed me to get to this position by giving me a chance at a time when I had a lot of desire but little money. The equipment they gave me and the people they surrounded me with made me a better race car driver and a better person. They saw what this opportunity with Ginn Racing meant to me, and they didn't stand in the way. Joe Gibbs Racing will always have a special place in my heart."

Before Ginn Racing Changes:

"Not everything in life is easy."

  

"I don't think you just wake up one morning and you're a champion."

Aric Almirola

The following interview with Almirola was recorded at ESPN Disney World with Dwight Drum a few weeks before all the whirlwind moves.

You, David Reutimann and Denny Hamlin have Tampa roots. Is there something in the air or water that produces race car drivers?
"I don't think there is anything in the water but I think Tampa is a really place to grow up to be involved in racing. There are a lot of great short tracks around the area or at least within an hours drive. That's all you look for when you're a young racer growing up. You just want to opportunities for places to go racing. Florida is a great place for that."

Do NASCAR champions and motorsports champions have common traits and abilities, and if so could you identify a few?
"I think they do, but I think that accumulate them over a period of time. I don't think you just wake up one morning and you're a champion. I think there is a lot to be learned and it's a process. It's definitely a process. I can't say that you're just naturally gifted. but I can say if you take it seriously enough and learn from all your mistakes and everything you do throughout the years of competing you'll become a champion."

It's a short drive from your hometown in Tampa to Daytona, but it's a long way for a driver. Can you describe that process?
"I started racing go-karts when I was eight. I raced go-karts till I was 14. We just took it real slow and tried to progress every year. When I started when I was eight I mainly ran at local short tracks racing go-karts. It was not a high-pressure situation. It was not a matter of winning or losing it was a matter of just going out and having fun. Then as the years progressed it turned into a matter of winning or losing and it tautened into a highly competitive sport for me. Something I prided myself on winning. I worked hard in the shop at night working on my go-kart trying to get it ready for the next race so I could go win. That's just carried on throughout my years of racing.

"At 15 my grandfather decided that it was time for me to go stock car racing. We got an open-wheel modified and went racing. From that to Super Late Model racing and all the people in between have helped my career grow. It's just been amazing. I've worked with some really good people that have been good to me and have taken me under their wing. Not only my family but people I've never met before have befriended me and taught me as much as possible to help me get going in my racing career. I have a lot of friends and family out there that I owe a lot to."

Do NASCAR champions and motorsports champions have common traits and abilities, and if so could you identify a few?
"I think they do, but I think that accumulate them over a period of time. I don't think you just wake up one morning and you're a champion. I think there is a lot to be learned and it's a process. It's definitely a process. I can't say that you're just naturally gifted. but I can say if you take it seriously enough and learn from all your mistakes and everything you do throughout the years of competing you'll become a champion."

Focus is important; did you acquire that or bring it with you?
"I had that when I was a little kid. I could never stay focused in school or on anything that I didn't really care about. But when it came to racing, baseball or anything that I really had a lot of interest in, I was the most focused kid on the team or the most focused kid at the racetrack. When it comes to stuff that I really truly have a passion for. Focus I think is probably my biggest attribute."

If you were to take a fan for a ride during competition, what would you say to them about the expectation of the experience?
"Hold on."

Racing is all about ups and downs and you recently had a big up and down when they pulled you from the 20 car during a race. You handled that well. Can you explain how you did that?
"I was obviously disappointed and upset or heart-broken or however you want to state it. It was disappointing but I tried to do the right thing and take the high road and at the time being as upset as I was I didn't want to say anything that I would regret later or anything like that. I've had some good mentors along the way and I've had some very good advice. One piece of advice that sticks out in my mind a friend of mine once told me that you can say all you want to say behind closed doors but when you open up to the media and say something you regret it takes a long time to apologize for it. I felt like I did the right thing and the thing I needed to do and whether it was the right thing or the wrong thing it was I what I felt what I needed to do."

What's it feel like to race against people you might never have thought you would race against?
"It's really cool. I've sat at home and watched all these guys race for a long time so to get out there and get on the same racetrack as them is just unbelievable. I know when I went to Vegas for the first time in a Cup car and did a test out there. I was out there testing and Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson at some point were on the racetrack with me and around me. I thought to myself, I'm on a racetrack with Jeff Gordon. It's unexplainable."

What advice would you give to young people wanting to duplicate your success as a race car driver at the top levels?
"Just work hard. There is nothing that you can't accomplish without hard work. That was the one thing that my grandfather and my whole family instilled in me. They were willing to work with me on my racing business as long as I was willing to work on it. The minute that I quit working on it was time that they quit working on it. I think that's big for young kids to realize that not everything in life is easy. You've got to work hard for the things you want."

How long do racing butterflies last?
"Not long because I realized I had a job at hand. In Vegas it was treacherous out there to test. The car was a handful enough. I had plenty to think about right in front of me so I didn't have much time to think about it. The little bit that I did I was definitely shocked at what I was doing."

Do race car drivers have better hand-eye coordination than average people?
"We do have good hand-eye coordination. But I just think it comes from practice really. I could be wrong. I don't know the science behind human biology. But I think it's just practice. I played baseball, football, basketball and raced and I've played tons and tons of video games. I think that just all comes naturally over time and you become better at you hand-eye coordination. I know the first time a baseball was thrown to me, I'm sure I didn't catch it, but the more I practiced and the more I did it you adapt."

Is there any difference between you and the average person on the highway?
"Now. Yes. When I first started, probably not. I think what most people on the average highway do to get them into trouble is panic. I think that's something I've learned throughout racing and stuff you get put in situations in a matter of split seconds on the racetrack and you have to react and figure a way to get out of your situation without wrecking or hurting yourself. I think that's one thing that most people out on the road don't get to practice."