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Aric Almirola "had a car capable of winning, didn't get it done"

Aric Almirola knows the saying you have to lose some before you win some, but feels he’s lost enough already.

Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

NASCAR Media

Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Smithfield
Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Smithfield
Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Smithfield

Almirola put in his best performance of the season, leading 42 laps in Sunday’s rain-delayed Foxwoods Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway but came up short at the end finishing third.

Almirola was leading when a caution was displayed on Lap 257 after his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Clint Bowyer, hit the wall. Kyle Busch was the first off pit road while a slow stop for Almirola left him in third on the restart.

But it only got worse. When the green flag flew, Almirola spun his tires while trying to anticipate when Busch would restart and fell back to seventh.

He managed to regain four positions in the final 39 laps.

“That last caution there, we came down pit road leading, went out third, lost control of the race.  Then I spun my tires on the restart and didn’t even give myself a fighting chance to go race for the win,” Almirola said.

“Just frustrated on all parts that we didn’t execute the way we needed to try and win. Chicagoland we had a car capable of winning, and didn’t get it done. Here again, had a car capable of winning, didn’t get it done.”

Still, Almirola continued his strong performance at SHR. Sunday’s finish was his best this season and he remains 11th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings, in good position to make the playoffs even without a victory.

That victory, however, is very important to Almirola and his No. 10 Ford team.

“When you have a car that fast, that dominant late in the race, and you don’t win, it’s disappointing. There’s no way to hide that. I could put on a big smiley face. Deep down inside it would be fake,” he said.

“I’m disappointed because I thought that was going to be us going to Victory Lane. We didn’t capitalize on it today. That’s the frustrating part.

“Everybody keeps telling me, ‘You got to lose some before you win some.’ So, we’ve lost some.  Time to stop it, time to go to Victory Lane. We’re capable. We have a race team capable of doing it.”

 

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