Aric Almirola will retire at the end of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series, he announced Jan. 10.
Almirola announced his retirement at the Stewart-Haas Racing shop alongside an event for sponsor Smithfield, according to the Associated Press. He also talked about the retirement in a YouTube video.
Almirola has been a full-time driver in the Cup Series since 2012.
“… at this point, I’m ready to go back to being a fan,” Almirola said in the video. “I’m ready to be a husband and to be a dad full time and to be a fan of the sport again.”
Almirola is coming off a one-win 2021 season, with two top fives and five top 10s. He’ll return to Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 10 for 2022.
In 388 Cup starts entering 2022, the 37-year-old Almirola boasts three wins, 26 top fives and 84 top 10s, dating to his debut in 2007.
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