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NASCAR: The Biggest Questions Facing Every Driver In 2017

By Christopher Olmstead

Oct 23, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) and Kurt Busch (41) and Joey Logano (22) and Martin Truex Jr. (78) race four wide during the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) and Kurt Busch (41) and Joey Logano (22) and Martin Truex Jr. (78) race four wide during the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 6, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Aric Almirola (43) is introduced before the start of the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Aric Almirola (43) is introduced before the start of the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Aric Almirola

2017 is all about Aric Almirola now that the second car at RPM is gone. Brian Scott retired after the 2016 season which ended a third consecutive season with three different drivers in the second car that wasn’t Almirola.

The question now is that with all of the focus on just the No. 43 car, is it enough to push the car back into the playoffs?

If Almirola has a disappointing season in 2017 it could impact his future with RPM. The No. 43 machine carries with it a lot of history however that history is nowhere near recent. Almirola has been shielded in the past by the struggles of the second car but that protection is gone. In 2017 Almirola needs to step up.

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