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As darkness drew nearer, Aric Almirola came to life on Sunday night at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and claimed the surprise victory, the first of the year for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Aric Almirola smiles as he wields a giant lobster after winning the NASCAR Cup Series car race on Sunday July 18, 2021 in Loudon, NH. At left is Dave McGrath, General Manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (AP Photo / Charles Krupa)
“There is no doubt that we struggled,” said Almirola. “But guess what? We’re going to make the playoffs. “
The victory was a needed boost for Ford and wreaked havoc in the playoff field with just four races to go before the 16-driver field was defined. The race was delayed by nearly two hours in the rain and NASCAR called it early due to the darkness, leaving it eight laps from its scheduled conclusion.
New Hampshire was slated for 301 laps and 318.46 miles.
Almirola, who entered 27th in the points standings, earned his third career Cup victory and his first since 2018 and was the first driver in the SHR peloton which includes Kevin Harvick, Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe to cross the checkered flag . Almirola only had two top 10s this season.
“There were so many people who stood behind us during the crappiest year ever,” said Almirola. “Dude, this is so good for them.”
He broke up the Penske team party – Brad Keselowksi and Ryan Blaney had fun at one point for the head – and Christopher Bell couldn’t catch up to him.
Bell won the Xfinty Series race on Saturday and finished second. Keselowski, Joey Logano and Blaney made a 3-4-5 finish for Team Penske.
Almirola rested his head on the car with almost stunned disbelief at having clinched his playoff spot.
“I love this race track,” he said. “I won this race a few years ago and lost it. We’ve been through so much and I just passed the test.”
Almirola ended a 98-race winless streak and added New Hampshire to a rain-cut victory at Daytona in 2014 and Talladega in 2018 for their third victory in 374 career races.
Ford drivers took five of the top six places.
NASCAR started the race in wet conditions and that decision turned into a disaster when pole-sitter Kyle Busch spun down the slippery track and destroyed just six laps in the race. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin also sped and the red flag was waved to stop the race. Truex and Hamlin have returned to the race. Busch’s race in the No. 18 Toyota was over and he bit his tongue at NASCAR’s call to start the race.
“It should never have turned green at first, but then it only got worse as the laps passed,” said Busch. “We’ve been talking about it for two laps since it’s raining. It doesn’t make sense to say what I mean, it’s no use.”
Hamlin said, “It’s just a bad look.”
NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell told NBC Sports the races started in a haze, but the track “crept in quickly.”
RAIN DELAY THEATER
New England Patriots return specialist Gunner Olszewski, honorary pace car driver, and drivers Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie tossed the soccer ball with the fans during the delay.
SATURDAY EVENING IS GOOD TO WIN
Chase Elliott was still soaking up his Saturday night when he faced his NASCAR Hall of Fame dad and won the Superstar Racing Experience at the old Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
He had the best of Bill Elliott, 65, even though his dad is a regular at SRX. Tony Stewart was second and elder Elliott was third.
“We were literally racing for the race win last night, and it wasn’t a fluke, a joke or a setup,” said Chase Elliott. “We were legitimately in race 1-2 which is amazing. Tony has been a lifelong hero of mine. Sharing the podium with them both, I couldn’t have asked for something more special than that.”
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Defending Cup champion Chase Elliott said NASCAR should race at the Fairgrounds on the further out Nashville Superspeedway.
“I’ve always felt that way, but that other lead isn’t the answer,” he said. “The energy is right there in town, and we don’t need to look any further. That’s it for this town. Without a doubt.”
Kyle Larson won $ 175,000 and the prestigious Kings Royal dirt race in the World of Outlaws series on Saturday night and Harvick, which has its own management team, saw his client Miesha Tate come out of retirement and win a fight at the ‘UFC.
FOLLOWING
Summer holidays! With NBC busy covering the Olympics, NASCAR takes a rare two-week hiatus and doesn’t return until August 8 at Watkins Glen. Watkins Glen was banned from the schedule last season due to the pandemic. Elliott won the last road race in 2019.
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