Motorsports

Almirola gains more ground, respect in pursuit of dream

By BRANT JAMES
Published February 16, 2007

He could play regular sports like the regular kids, maybe even try to make the junior varsity football team as a freshman at Hillsborough High. Or he could keep following his grandfather, Sam Rodriguez, to his sprint car races on Friday nights, then to his own go-kart races on Saturdays, and see if something would eventually come of this race career.

Ten years later, standing a few feet from two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart, cracking jokes with team owner Joe Gibbs, he could assure himself he made the right decision. And he still gets to play football, linebacker even.

"So far, it's turned out okay," Almirola grinned during a Joe Gibbs Racing function in January. Minutes before, president J.D. Gibbs had revealed that in addition to a 20-race Busch Series schedule, the 22-year-old Tampa native will attempt to qualify for up to four Nextel Cup races in a fourth research-and-development car.

Almirola is tentatively scheduled to try to qualify for his first Cup race on March 11 in Las Vegas.

"They're trying to make me follow in the footsteps of Denny (Hamlin) and it's paid off for him and Joe Gibbs Racing," Almirola said. "If everything works out the same, it would be pretty cool, but if not I've talked to J.D. and they're not going to rush things for sure."

Hamlin, also born in Tampa, leaped from obscurity as a Late Models driver in Virginia to the Nextel Cup series in four years for JGR. Last season he finished third in points, the highest finish by a Cup rookie in 40 years.

Almirola is popular at JGR, in part because of how much patience he has for a young driver, in part because he proved himself in two seasons barnstorming the southeastern Late Models circuit where he constantly bore the stigma of being a diversity driver in expensive Gibbs equipment. Almirola, who is Hispanic, thrived in that sometimes-tense environment, advanced to trucks in 2005, finished as high as 11th in nine Busch Series starts and had three top-10s in a full trucks season in 2006.

"He's done really well, everything we've asked," J.D. Gibbs said.

"It's hard to believe what was a hobby has turned into his career so fast," Rodriguez said. "His father, Ralph, used to be my crew chief when we'd go out of town racing, and I mean, he was so little we'd put him in a lawn chair and sit him on top the trailer and say, 'Stay there' because it got dangerous down there on pit road."

J.D. Gibbs loves that Almirola still has a knack for football, at least during Tuesday night intramurals. It's just lucky for both he has put it aside for a while.

[Last modified February 15, 2007, 13:03:04]