Hearing Aric Almirola, who was credited with the Milwaukee Busch Series race win Saturday night, will join Ginn Racing in 2008 as a protege to #01-Mark Martin. Supposedly the plan is for Almirola to run part-time Cup, Busch and Trucks in 2008 and take over the #01 Chevy full-time in 2009.(6-25-2007) UPDATE – denied: Though he still is “not happy” about being pulled for Nextel Cup star Denny Hamlin during Saturday’s Busch Series race at Milwaukee, Tampa’s Aric Almirola said Wednesday he isn’t frustrated at Joe Gibbs Racing and has no plans to leave the team. He said there is no truth to a rumor that appeared on ESPN-owned Web site Jayski.com saying he is headed to Ginn Racing next year and will race the #01 Chevrolet full time in Nextel Cup in 2009. “I’m under contract at JGR,” Almirola, 23, said on a national conference call. “I have a long history with them. I’ve been there since I was 18 years old. I started racing late models with them, and they’ve become like family to me. I see our relationship growing.” Almirola is scheduled to run six more Busch races, including the July 6 event at Daytona, and he said one race may be added. He is competing in the Craftsman Truck Series race this weekend at Memphis and will enter a couple of Nextel Cup Car of Tomorrow races this year with JGR’s research and development team. He reiterated Wednesday that he hopes to race full time in at least the Busch Series next year.(Tampa Tribune)(6-28-2007) UPDATE 2: Sirius Speedway has learned that Aric Almirola will join Ginn Racing next season, sharing the #01 US Army Chevy with veteran Mark Martin. Almirola is currently under contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, but will reportedly replace Regan Smith in the #01 car in 2008, when Smith moves to full-time Nextel Cup status with Ginn.(Motorsports Soapbox)(7-16-2007) UPDATE 3: The original post at Motorsports Soapbox has been updated to include the following: Aric Almirola has requested a release from Joe Gibbs Racing, and will move within the next few days to a new position with Ginn Racing, sharing the #01 US Army Chevy with veteran Mark Martin.(Motorsports Soapbox)(7-17-2007)
