Aric Almirola will again have the U.S. Air Force as a sponsor on his No. 43 Ford in 2017, and for two of the most patriotic races of the season — the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Memorial Day weekend) and the fall race at Phoenix, which coincides with Veterans Day.
The team made that announcement Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Almirola has had sponsorship from the Air Force every year since 2012, his first full-time venture with Richard Petty Motorsports, and the Air Force has been a partner with RPM specifically for eight consecutive seasons. The Air Force also served as the main sponsor in Almirola’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Daytona in the summer of 2014.
“I’ve been lucky enough to experience a lot of things and meet a lot of people through our partnership with the Air Force,” Almirola said in a team release. “I’ve had rides in fighter planes, experienced refueling missions and toured many bases, but the thing I love most about the partnership is being able meet and thank the men and women of the Air Force. The things they do to keep our country safe is nothing short of amazing. It’s remarkable to see that the Air Force and all of its members are working at the forefront of technology and truly making a difference. I’m honored to be able to represent them and share the message of the Air Force will all of our race fans.”
As part of the partnership, the U.S. Air Force also will continue its Summer Engineering Internship with U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets at Richard Petty Motorsports, applying their knowledge of aerodynamics, fuels and engineering systems to the No. 43 car. The Air Force will remain an associate partner on the No. 43 for the entirety of the 2017 season.
Almirola is a natural fit to have Air Force as his sponsor, considering he was born on Eglin Air Force base in Florida while his dad served.
“The Air Force is excited to partner with Richard Petty Motorsports again in 2017, for the ninth consecutive season,” said Maj. Jacob Chisolm, Air Force Recruiting Service National Events Branch Chief. “NASCAR is a great venue to inspire young adults, communicate the service’s mission and build awareness about career opportunities within the Air Force. It’s also a great way to highlight the connection between our Air Force mission and the science, technology, engineering and math principles that play a major role in NASCAR.”