CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Richard Petty Motorsports has hired Aric
Almirola to drive the famed No. 43 in NASCAR's elite Sprint Cup
Series.
Almirola is leaving a job driving for JR Motorsports in the
Nationwide Series to take over the car seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty made famous.
Almirola replaces AJ Allmendinger. He left the team last month
to take a job at Penske Racing.
Almirola has 35 career starts in the Sprint Cup Series but none
since he drove the last five races of the 2010 season. He finished a career-high fourth in the 2010 season finale at Homestead.
Almirola finished fourth last season in the Nationwide
standings. JR Motorsports did not immediately announce a
replacement.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)