Aric Almirola announces retirement from full-time NASCAR Cup racing

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- At roughly 9 o'clock on Saturday morning, readers of the "X" app got the long-awaited answer to Aric Almirola's plans for 2024 -- a partial answer, at least.

Almirola announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing, indicating he will not be back in the No. 10 Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing next year.

"After much prayer, consideration and conversations with my family, I'm ready for the next adventure," Almirola posted, along with expressions of gratitude to Stewart-Haas and sponsor Smithfield Foods, which has decided to end its commitment to NASCAR racing at the end of the season.

Almirola achieved two of his three NASCAR Cup Series victories with Stewart-Haas, at Talladega in 2018 and at New Hampshire in 2021. His other Cup win came in a rain-shortened race at Daytona for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2014.

Though Almirola said later on Saturday in the Martinsville Speedway media center that he's seeking a more equitable work/life balance, he didn't rule out racing on a more limited basis next year and beyond.

"I still would like to scratch the itch," said the 39-year-old driver. "I don't know what that looks like. I still want to late-model race. If there's an opportunity to run an asphalt pavement, a late model race or a dirt-late model race -- a truck race or an Xfinity race, something like that, or even a one-off Cup race here and there, I would enjoy that.

"But doing it 38 weeks out of the year is a grind. I'm not complaining, because I signed up for it, and I loved it, and it's afforded our family a wonderful, wonderful life. But I'm ready to just create a little bit better work/life balance as I go forward."

Almirola didn't provide any specifics about his future plans, and Stewart-Haas is now tasked with finding a driver and sponsor for the No. 10 Ford.