Despite crew chief's absence, Aric Almirola finds speed at Talladega

Saturday Talladega Notebook

Despite crew chief's absence, Aric Almirola finds speed at Talladega

Oct. 19, 2013

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

TALLADEGA, Ala.—Fortunately for Aric Almirola, most of the heavy lifting had already been done before NASCAR suspended his crew chief, Todd Parrot, for a violation of the sanctioning body's substance abuse program.

Parrott is especially adept at building and setting up superspeedway cars, and it showed Friday, even in his absence at Talladega Superspeedway, when Almirola's No. 43 Ford was fastest in the draft (202.000 mph) in the first NASCAR Sprint Cup practice session.

That performance earned Almirola the top starting spot for Sunday's Camping World RV Sales 500, the sixth race in the Chase, after rain forced cancellation of Saturday's qualifying session.

With Parrott out of action indefinitely, until he completes NASCAR's Road to Recovery program, Richard Petty Motorsports director of operations Sammy Johns is filling in as crew chief this weekend, but the team is seeking a longer-term solution to the unexpected problem.

"That was definitely something that caught us all off guard and something that we have had to just work with on a day-to-day basis," Almirola said. "Every day has been just a little bit different, and we're trying to work through it and do the best we can.

"We're working on a plan, and I'm sure they will announce the plan next week as to our plans for the rest of the year moving forward. We have sat down and talked about it and tried to come up with the best solution for what is best for us."

Despite Parrott's suspension, Almirola remains loyal to his crew chief.

"I'll reiterate, and I said it on Twitter, but Todd Parrott is a good person and a good crew chief and a good friend of mine," Almirola said. "I think he has a lot of support and a lot of people rallying behind him to get through this difficult time.

"That being said, we have a job to do and have to go out and race and do what is best for us. We have to figure out a plan."

BURTON OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2014 PROSPECTS

Jeff Burton didn't have anything specific to say about his job prospects for 2014—just that he's comfortable with the situation.

A 21-time winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Burton is leaving the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at the end of the season, and for the present, he's entertaining offers for his services.

"I feel really good about what's going on, and when I can talk about it, I can talk about it," Burton said Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. "I'm really comfortable with where I am, and the opportunities that have been presented to me the last month have been really interesting.

"Maybe one day I can talk about some of them, because some of them are crazy. It's been a kind of interesting last few months, but I'm really comfortable with where I am and what I am going to be doing. I'm just not in position to talk about it. I promise you, when I can, I will."

SHORT STROKES

In a move that recalls the origins of NASCAR racing, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway announced Saturday that Ole Smoky Moonshine will become the official moonshine of both racing facilities. Better yet, the product of the Tennessee distillery is legal...

The Kyle Busch Foundation earned recognition from the National Motorsports Press Association as the organization's third-quarter spirit award winner, based on its efforts to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer patients in North Carolina. Though a corporate dinner and silent auction, the foundation launched by Kyle Busch and wife Samantha—in partnership with the Pretty in Pink Foundation of Raleigh—raised enough money to pay the medical bills of 12 cancer patients in four North Carolina counties.