NASCAR: Stewart-Haas Racing 2018 outlook

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 24: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Ford, leads Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Haas Automation Ford, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

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KANNAPOLIS, NC – NOVEMBER 08: NASCAR driver Aric Almirola (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Stewart-Haas Racing via Getty Images) /

Aric Almirola

The biggest change of 2018 comes from Aric Almirola, as he’ll be getting his first and probably only shot at a top-tier race car, something he’s been without up until this point in his career.

Expectations are tempered for Almirola. In 244 races, he has only found the top 10 in 32 races and he has only won one race, with that lone win coming back in 2014.

Almirola is proof that sponsors make the calls in NASCAR as SHR has struggled to field sponsors for all four cars, but Smithfield was willing to come on board if Almirola followed them over.

This is going to be the year for Almirola. After a 10-year career filled with below average performances, he will have to prove his worth or risk finding himself outside of the Cup Series very soon.

We should see Almirola with an increase in top 10 finishes and average finishing position (21.4 for his career), but don’t expect him to earn a playoff berth or have a consistent season.

Poor equipment or not, a championship-caliber driver can bring basement-dwelling teams to the top of the charts and Almirola has never been able to do that.

I am not expecting a career emergence.

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