NASCAR: 3 possible replacements for Aric Almirola
By Asher Fair
Aric Almirola replacements: No. 2 – Riley Herbst
Riley Herbst doesn’t exactly look ready to make the jump from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the Cup Series after posting back-to-back winless seasons, both of which saw him finish outside of the top 10 in the championship standings, driving for top-tier organizations. He competed for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2020 and then for Stewart-Haas Racing last year.
But perhaps a strong second year with Stewart-Haas Racing behind the wheel of the #98 Ford could generate a second look as it pertains to the team’s 2023 Cup Series lineup.
At just 22 years old, the Las Vegas, Nevada native still definitely has room to improve, but that improvement may need to be quite drastic.
With that being said, Stewart-Haas Racing’s most recent two driver lineup changes have seen them go young and promote from within. Cole Custer was promoted to the Cup Series in 2020 after spending three years with the team in the Xfinity Series, and Chase Briscoe was promoted in 2021 after spending two years there.
Custer and Briscoe didn’t exactly dominate the Xfinity Series right away either, but both of them were promoted after Championship 4 appearances in seasons that saw them win many races (seven and nine, respectively). Both missed the Championship 4 in their first season with the team, though neither one had a winless year with the team.
Herbst has yet to get to the round of 8, and if that doesn’t change, Stewart-Haas Racing will look elsewhere to replace Aric Almirola.