It’s been a roller coaster of a ride for Aric Almirola in his racing career, but the veteran driver is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Just recently, he secured his fifth-ever pole in NASCAR Cup Series competition – reinforcing that he still has plenty to offer after more than a decade competing at the highest level.
With three consecutive seasons now equalized by winning poles and going on nine full-time seasons, it looks like Almirola has solidified himself as one of NASCAR’s top drivers. This article will look closer at this incredible streak and how Almirola is setting himself up for continued success!
Securing His Fifth Pole in NASCAR Cup Series Competition
With a final-round lap of 31.261 (177.346 mph), Almirola clinched his first pole of the 2023 season and his fifth Cup pole overall to earn the pole position for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After winning only two in his first nine full-time seasons, Almirola has earned at least one pole in the previous three seasons.
Almirola led Ford’s impressive qualifying performance, which carried over from the spring race in Atlanta, despite July’s midsummer temperatures starkly contrasting the highly chilly weather in March. Fords accounted for eight of the ten cars that advanced to the final round of qualifying, with Ty Gibbs’ Toyota and Kyle Larson’s Chevrolet serving as the only representatives of their respective manufacturers.
Larson was an anomaly in what was generally a rough qualifying session for Chevrolet, with several famous Chevy drivers, including Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, and Alex Bowman, placing far outside the top 20. The Toyotas were not immune, either; Christopher Bell spun out in Turn 2 during his qualifying lap. At the same time, Bubba Wallace had to abort his qualifying lap and did not submit a time after finding a technical problem that impacted his car’s handling.
Harrison Burton was one of the standouts in qualifying, clocking in fifth quickest to secure his best-ever starting slot in a Cup Series race. Todd Gilliland equaled his career-best qualifying performance in ninth place.
Starting Lineup For The Quaker State 400
- Aric Almirola – #10
- Ryan Blaney – #12
- Chase Briscoe – #14
- Joey Logano – #22
- Harrison Burton – #21
- Kevin Harvick – #4
- Ty Gibbs – #54
- Kyle Larson – #5
- Todd Gilliland – #38
- Austin Cindric- #2
- Brad Keselowski – #6
- Tyler Reddick – #45
- Ryan Preece – #41
- Denny Hamlin – #11
- Chris Buescher – #17
- Martin Truex Jr. – #19
- Justin Haley – #31
- William Byron – #24
- AJ Allmendinger – #16
- Michael McDowell – #34
- Cole Custer – #51
- Kyle Busch – #8
- Chase Elliott – #9
- J.J. Yeley – #15
- Erik Jones – #43
- Daniel Suarez – #99
- Ty Dillon – #77
- Corey LaJoie – #7
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – #47
- Ross Chastain – #1
- Noah Gragson – #42
- Austin Hill – #62
- Austin Dillon – #3
- Christopher Bell – #20
- B.J. McLeod – #78
- Alex Bowman – #48
- Bubba Wallace – #28
Wrapping Up the Streak
With his fifth pole in the NASCAR Cup Series competition, Aric Almirola continues to prove that he is one of the circuit’s most consistent and successful drivers. His pole position at the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway further cements his legacy as a racer who is reliable under pressure and can consistently deliver results.
Across all three manufacturers, Ford had an impressive qualifying performance, and Almirola led it, with eight of their cars advancing to the final round. As Almirola’s streak continues to grow, it looks like he’s set to be one of NASCAR’s top drivers for years to come – making sports betting on him a sure thing!
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