Debut Doesn’t Rattle Almirola; Army Driver Focusing on California Race

FONTANA, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2007) -- After a rocky debut with the U.S. Army team in Bristol, Aric Almirola is looking for a reversal of fortunes in this weekend's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at California Speedway.

The Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver finished 36th in Bristol after only having 10 minutes of practice time in the 01 Army Chevrolet.

"We didn't get much time to work on the setup in Bristol," said Almirola, referring to a shifting miscue that resulted in a broken motor. "We basically went into the race cold, but we fought to the end. I have a good feeling that California is going to be a lot different."

The 23-year-old Almirola, who is of Cuban descent, said that he is looking forward to his second start with the Army team and his third Cup start overall.

"This Army team has had some good runs at California in the past and that excites me," offered Almirola, whose only experience at the two-mile track was in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. "I just want to give the guys, the soldiers and DEI a good showing."

While Almirola remains encouraged about being with the Army/DEI team, his teammates, including crew chief Ryan Pemberton, share the same feeling.

"For the little time we had to practice in Bristol, I thought Aric did a good job," offered Pemberton. "We had a lot of things go against us last week, but Aric showed the poise of a skilled veteran. It should be better in California.”

“We're going through a learning curve, which I anticipate will be short,” added Pemberton. “Aric and the team passed an important first hurdle and that was establishing a good chemistry."

The last time the 01 Army team competed at the Southern California track was in February when Mark Martin finished fifth and left the facility in first place in the driver point standings. Almirola is sharing the 01 Army ride with Martin.

"It seems a lot longer than six months since we raced in California," noted Pemberton. "Plenty has changed since then, but we have basically the same guys with the Army team. We're not looking for Aric to rotate the earth, we would like to run a smooth race and finish on the lead lap. If we can do that, I feel we should have a decent finish."

The 01 DEI team is 13th in driver points, one position shy of making the Chase for the owner's championship. California and Richmond are the two races remaining before the Chase begins in New Hampshire on Sept. 16.