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NASCAR: 5 drivers who could retire after Jimmie Johnson

By Dominick Capolupo

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 10: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Mobil 1/Rush Truck Centers Ford, Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's New 9-Grain Wheat Sub Ford, Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford, Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford, pose for a photo with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series trophy after making the playoffs following the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 10, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 10: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Mobil 1/Rush Truck Centers Ford, Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's New 9-Grain Wheat Sub Ford, Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford, Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford, pose for a photo with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series trophy after making the playoffs following the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 10, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
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BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 16: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 16: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Aric Almirola

Aric Almirola is a real dark horse pick for a driver to potentially retire in the near future. At age 35, he is set to enter his third season piloting the #10 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2020. He and long time sponsor Smithfield signed a one-year contract extension with Stewart-Haas Racing in October.

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Next year is a real make or break year for Almirola. If the performance is not there, team owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas may part ways with Almirola and look for a new driver to fill his seat.

Smithfield has been with Almirola since 2012, but if the results do not pick up in 2020, they may very well split with him as well.

After a strong 2018 season in which Almirola won a race at Talladega Superspeedway, qualified for the round of 8 and finished in a career-high fifth place in the championship standings, he had a disappointing year in 2019. He failed to win a race and was eliminated after the round of 16, and he recorded just six top 10 finishes in the season’s final 29 races. Meanwhile, Clint Bowyer advanced to the round of 12 and Kevin Harvick advanced to the Championship 4.

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It would be hard to see Aric Almirola having the motivation to get going without being in top ride at the age of 36, so this could be it for him. If 2020 does not go the way he wants it to, he could see an early end to his NASCAR Cup Series career.

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