Aric Almirola will make his second Truck Series start in the #47 Home Depot Silverado at the upcoming Power Stroke Diesel 200 on August 5, 2005 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Almirola made a successful debut in the Morgan-Dollar Motorsports fielded truck at Memphis Motorsports Park on July 23rd. He worked his way through the field until contact late in the race sidelined the 21-year old driver. Almirola was running in 14th position at the time of his exit from the race and had displayed patience and maturity running in the thick of the competitive truck field. The Home Depot, primary sponsor of Almirola’s Joe Gibbs Racing late model stock car and Tony Stewart’s championship winning NASCAR NEXTEL Cup program, will be on board the #47 Silverado at IRP in support of Almirola’s second NCTS race. FedEx Express and Joe Gibbs Racing Performance Oil will serve as major associates on the truck with critical support from GM Racing as part of the Team Silverado program. In preparation for his second race, Almirola tested at IRP with the Randy Goss-led team. Although rain showers shortened the available track time for the Cuban-American from Tampa, FL native, Goss was pleased with the results of both the Memphis race and the test. Almirola has spent the past two seasons as a member of the Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing Diversity Program racking up wins and top-five finishes in a late model at short tracks all over North Carolina. JGR’s diversity program traces it roots back to May of 2003. In partnership with the late Reggie White, a Hall of Fame defensive end who played in the National Football League, JGR formed the diversity program to create a grassroots stock car team that would identify and assist minorities with the desire and talent to make a career in motorsports. In January of 2004 the diversity program became reality, thanks in large part to the support of JGR’s sponsors, most notably, The Home Depot and MBNA, the team’s primary sponsors, and Rockwell Automation and Cintas. the team’s associate sponsors.(GM Racing PR)(8-5-2005)
