Aric Almirola will run Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway and make his debut in Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #01 Nextel Cup car Aug. 25 at Bristol. Almirola signed with Ginn Racing last month to share the #01 Chevy with Mark Martin starting with this weekend's event at Watkins Glen. But after Ginn merged with DEI, team management decided Regan Smith would drive the #01 car at Watkins Glen because he has more road racing experience. Smith also will drive the #01 car Sept. 16 at New Hampshire, a track Almirola was going to run. Almirola will get the Nextel Cup races at California, Martinsville and Phoenix. He is also scheduled to run three more Busch races for Joe Gibbs Racing – at Bristol, Charlotte and Homestead – and he'll qualify a Gibbs car for Denny Hamlin at Memphis. The Hillsborough High graduate said nothing has changed concerning his plans for 2008. He'll share the #01 Chevy with Martin, and the schedule will be determined after this season ends.
Tampa Tribune
