NASCAR: 3 possible replacements for Aric Almirola
By Asher Fair
Aric Almirola replacements: No. 3 – Matt DiBenedetto
It was pretty obvious early on that Matt DiBenedetto wasn’t going to be back in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022 after he lost his ride with Wood Brothers Racing. Fortunately, he didn’t cling to the false hope of a return, and he ended up landing a full-time Truck Series ride with Rackley WAR.
DiBenedetto clearly still has aspirations to get back to the top level of American stock car racing, and dropping down two levels might be the best way for him to try to achieve that goal.
Stewart-Haas Racing have had chances to sign him before and ended up opting for other drivers, but consider what Aric Almirola’s departure means. This is a team that will be losing a veteran when Almirola retires, and more than likely, they will be losing another one in Kevin Harvick after 2023 for the same reason.
DiBenedetto has seven years of Cup Series experience, and at the age of 30, the Grass Valley, California could serve as a veteran presence with several years of good performance left in the tank.
The big knock on him is that he literally hasn’t won anything in over a decade. Despite not driving for a top-tier organization in the Cup Series, he did have a handful of golden opportunities to change that, and he couldn’t capitalize on a single one. Will that change in the Truck Series in 2022? Will it matter?
A ride with Stewart-Haas Racing would surely be his best chance yet.
Next. Top 25 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark
Who will replace Aric Almirola behind the wheel of the #10 Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season? Will it be one of these three? In the meantime, the 2022 season is scheduled to get underway with the 64th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 20.