Almirola will make NASCAR Trucks return at North Wilkesboro

Almirola, who currently drives part time in the Xfinity Series and serves as a driver coach at Joe Gibbs Racing, will drive the No. 16 Toyota for Hattori Racing Enterprises in Saturday’s race which is part of NASCAR All-Star Weekend.

This event will mark Almirola’s first Truck start since 2012. The NASCAR veteran has two wins, 19 top five and 38 top finishes in Truck competition. His most recent start in the series was a ninth-place finish at Texas in 2012 driving for Richie Wauters.

“North Wilkesboro is a unique track, and it was definitely different last year with the old and worn-out racing surface,” Almirola said. “I think it will be a completely different experience this year with the new pavement.”

Almirola competed in last year’s All-Star Race activities, the first to be hosted at the iconic track, while driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series. He finished third in the All-Star Open qualifying race.

In his Truck Series return this week, Almirola will reunite with his former crew chief, Wauters.

“Getting back to the Truck series with Richie has been something I’ve been looking forward to since we first discussed racing at North Wilkesboro a few months ago,” Almirola said.

Almirola has carved out a successful career in NASCAR, across all three national series – Cup, Xfinity and Trucks. He owns three Cup wins in more than 460 starts and finished as high as fifth in the series standings in 2018. He also has five Xfinity wins.

“We’re excited to have Aric behind the wheel of our Toyota TRD Pro at North Wilkesboro. His experience in the series, particularly in the early days of his career, will be invaluable,” said team owner Shige Hattori.

“He understands the unique challenges of these vehicles and this historic track. Aric will also give us a great understanding of where we are at as a team and give us some valuable feedback.”