TALLADEGA, Ala. — Stewart-Haas Racing renewed its partnership with Aric Almirola and Smithfield Foods earlier this week, maintaining the driver-sponsor combination on the No. 10 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2020.
The partnership started back in 2012 in Almirola’s first full-time year in the NASCAR Cup Series. “Having a sponsor in this day and age is pretty critical,” Almirola said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. “We knew it was going to happen, just a matter of dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s.”
Almirola declined to reveal the terms and length of the renewal, which have not been made public.
When asked if this renewal provides more job security and a look into his future, Almirola said performance was still the ultimate goal.
“We haven’t had the year we had last year and that’s just part of the sport,” said Almirola, who was eliminated from the playoff picture after the Round of 16. “Not the year we wanted but we’re going to continue to strive for success and move the needle.”
Almirola is the defending race winner at Talladega, where he claimed a victory that locked him into the Round of 8 for the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs.
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