Aric Almirola continues steady 2015 run heading into Pocono

Aric Almirola is 300/1 to win Axalta 400

Hot off a Top-Five finish, Aric Almirola looks for his career-best Sprint Cup Series finish at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Almirola and the No. 43 team scored their first Top-Five of the 2015 season and moved up to the 10th spot in the Championship Standings. Currently 14th on the Chase grid, the team is 46 points ahead of the cutoff line.

Almirola has six Sprint Cup starts at the “Tricky Triangle” with a best finish of 18th. He also has a start in the Truck Series where he scored a fourth-place finish.

Nathan’s Famous will return to the “Petty Blue” No. 43 Ford this weekend for the first of three primary races. Just over two hours up the road from the original Coney Island location, Pocono Raceway is the perfect spot for the hot dog brand to adorn the hood of the iconic No. 43 Ford.

Last month, Nathan’s Famous launched its Original Selfie Sweepstakes. Fans can enter to win by uploading selfies featuring Nathan’s Famous products by emailing to Enter@NathansSelfie.com or uploading at www.NathansSelfie.com. Fans can also enter via Instagram and Twitter by using the hashtag #NathansSelfie. Each week, one lucky winner, will be proclaimed the Fan of the Week for the photo submitted to the website. Monthly grand prizes and weekly prizes will also be awarded.

Almirola will stop by the Pocono Raceway Tweetup Sunday at 9:30 a.m. by the Nathan’s Famous stage in the fan area. Richard Petty will also be at the Nathan’s Famous stage prior to the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest qualifier at 10:45 a.m. with the qualifier starting at 11 a.m.

Almirola Weekend Chatter:
“There is definitely a reason why they call Pocono the ‘Tricky Triangle’. It’s a very difficult track and one where we have struggled in the past. We had a decent race last year but got caught up in an accident. This year, we have done a really good job with running consistently in the Top-15 even at tracks where we have struggled in the past. I am hopeful we can continue that consistency this weekend at Pocono. We need to unload with a faster car and get better at qualifying week in and week out, but we are right there in the race. We’ll keep working on getting our cars better earlier in the weekend, and I think the Top-Five finishes will continue. But, we can’t forget that we are currently in the Chase by 46 points, so we have to keep points in mind as we race each weekend. We can’t throw caution to the wind to go out for a win. We have too much to lose. I think that if we keep doing what we are doing and working on improving, we will make the Chase again this year.”

About Richard Petty Motorsports:
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.

- Breaking Limits, LLC., for Richard Petty Motorsports