Beyond the Flag
Fansided

NASCAR: 10 small-team drivers who deserve Danica Patrick’s ride

By Asher Fair

LOUDON, NH - JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton's 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NH - JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton's 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 12
Next
LOUDON, NH – JULY 14: Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 Smithfield Ford (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NH – JULY 14: Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 Smithfield Ford (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /

#1 – Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports, No. 43 Ford

Aric Almirola, 33, is the only driver from #5 through #1 that is not currently higher than Danica Patrick in the championship standings. The reason he trails her by two positions is because he missed seven races due to a back injury he suffered in a crash involving her and Joey Logano at Kansas. He was well ahead of her before the accident took place, and again, he still only currently trails her by two positions.

Almirola’s NASCAR Cup Series career began back in the 2007 season when he drove one race for Joe Gibbs Racing and a few races for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. The following season, he drove a few races for Dale Earnhardt Inc. before hopping to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to drive a few races in the 2009 season as well as Phoenix Racing to drive two more races, although he only qualified for one.

In the 2010 season, Almirola started out driving for Phoenix Racing before hopping to Tommy Baldwin Racing for one race, a race he failed to qualify for. He wrapped up the 2010 season driving for Richard Petty Motorsports before sitting out the entire 2011 season as a full-time Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series driver.

In the 2012 season, Almirola picked up where he left off at Richard Petty Motorsports, and he has been driving for the team ever since. He has driven in 231 career Cup Series races, and he has one career win to his name at Daytona in 2014.

Almirola’s 10 career top 5 finishes give him 10 more top 5 finishes than Danica Patrick has had in 177 career Cup Series races, and that’s despite the fact that Almirola has never driven full-time for a team as good as the team that Patrick drives for in Stewart-Haas Racing.

In addition to that, Almirola’s 29 career top 10 finishes give him more than four times the amount of top 10 finishes that Patrick has to her name (7), again, despite the fact that she drives for a far better team than he does. Therefore, it’s not a stretch to say that he is more deserving of her current ride in the #10 Ford than she is.

Home/NASCAR