Stewart-Haas Racing officially reveals Aric Almirola to replace Danica Patrick

The one Silly Season move that seemed preordained for weeks was made official on Wednesday, as the No. 10 Ford received its new driver for 2018.

Even though it seems the whole NASCAR world knew who it was going to be for some time, Stewart-Haas Racing hadn’t named its replacement for Danica Patrick in the No. 10 Ford until today. As expected, Aric Almirola will be that driver.

SHR officially revealed Almirola as the new person behind the wheel of the No. 10, which will be sponsored by Smithfield, following him over from Richard Petty Motorsports. It’s not known yet how many races Smithfield will serve as the primary sponsor, but it seems reasonable to assume it will be the majority of the 2018 season.

In joining Stewart-Haas, Almirola goes from a one-man show at RPM to part of a four-car operation. His teammates for 2018 will include Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, with Kurt Busch also likely assuming he and the team can work something out for him to return to the 41, something co-owner Tony Stewart says he is trying to make happen.

“”This is the opportunity every racer wants,” Almirola said in a press release. “Stewart-Haas Racing is an experienced organization with a lot of depth, great technical support from Ford, and staffed with racers from top to bottom. They lean on each other, challenge each other and make each other better. I’m really looking forward to being a part of that.”

One thing that will be fascinating to watch is if Almirola represents a step up in performance from Patrick. His performances were heading the wrong way in the No. 43 through the 2016 season, but while he missed some time in the middle of 2017 with an injury, he has mostly reversed that trend with five top-10 finishes and more finishes in the top 20 than on the outside.

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Patrick, on the other hand, has just a lone top 10 that came all the way back in the first Dover race. She’s insinuated at times that she didn’t feel she was being given the best cars at SHR, but now that assertion will be put to the test.

What might be even harder for fans to get accustomed to is seeing Smithfield on a car with colors other than Petty blue. The paint scheme for Almirola’s car unveiled by Stewart-Haas is primarily black in the front, fading to white on the rear quarter panel and on top of the car.