Almirola replaces Patrick at Stewart-Haas

Stewart-Haas Racing has signed Aric Almirola to drive its Number-10 Monster Energy Series Ford starting with the 2018 season. Sponsorship will come from Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, which has also been supporting Almirola’s tenure at Richard Petty Motorsports that’ll end when the 2017 season concludes. Almirola will replace Danica Patrick, who announced two months ago that this would be her final season at Stewart-Haas. Neither Almirola nor Patrick qualified for this year’s playoffs. Almirola missed seven races while recovering from a back injury suffered in a crash at Kansas Speedway in May. He’s been driving the Number-43 R-P-M entry since 2012. Patrick still has not announced her plans for 2018. Her best finish in thirty-four races this year is tenth place at Dover.