Almirola Posts Impressive 11th Place Finish at Dover

DOVER, Del., (June 3, 2006) – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 19 Husqvarna Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished 11th in the Stonebridgracing.com 200 NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway. It was an impressive outing considering that it was just the second Busch Series start for the 22-year-old racer.

“Running the truck race on Friday was a big help for us,” said Almirola, referring to his equally impressive 12th place finish the day before in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. “We learned a lot in that race as far as what works and what doesn’t work, and were able to apply a ton of what we learned in today’s outing.”

Almirola, one of the original drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing’s diversity program, charged through the 43-car field after starting the 200-lap race last. Qualifying was rained-out and the field was set by car owner points, and since the No. 19 team runs only a part-time schedule, it had the fewest points among the 43 teams set to compete at Dover.

Crew chief Doug Hewitt and the No. 19 team worked hard to better the car throughout the day, making adjustments on each pit stop, giving Almirola the equipment he needed to make his push toward the front.

“Dover is a tough track. They don’t call it the Monster Mile for nothing,” said Almirola. “I can’t say enough about this Husqvarna team. They worked hard all day and gave me what I needed to have a great finish. I’m just disappointed that I have to wait a couple of months for my next Busch start.”

The 2006 season is shaping up as a good one for the Tampa, Fla., native Running as a rookie in the Craftsman Truck Series, Almirola has taken Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors three times, one of which came at Charlotte two weeks ago when he finished a season-best ninth.

While his first Busch Series outing at Richmond (Va.) yielded a disappointing 32nd place finish, Almirola’s 11th place run at Dover sets the stage for a potential top-10 finish in his next start – August 19 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

“It’s been pretty special watching Aric grow from Late Models to Trucks and now Busch,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He’s met every challenge and continues to look for more. We have a ton of confidence in his abilities and the people working on that No. 19 Husqvarna Chevrolet. Aric’s a tough kid with a lot of talent. We’re glad that both he and Husqvarna are part of Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Jeff Burton had the biggest come-from-behind win ever in a Busch Series race, as he started from the 36th position to win the Stonebridgracing.com 200. It was his second victory of the season.

Finishing second was Carl Edwards, while Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and Ron Hornaday Jr. rounded out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, J.J. Yeley and Reed Sorenson comprised the rest of the top-10.

Almirola’s Busch Series teammates – Denny Hamlin in the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet and J.J. Yeley in the No. 18 Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet – finished seventh and ninth, respectively.

The next event on the Busch Series schedule is the June 10 Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. The race begins at 7:30 p.m. with live coverage provided by FX.