Ford Performance NSCS Notes and Quotes
Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at The Brickyard Advance – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Eckrich Ford Fusion, presented Army Veteran Luther Martin and his family with a new Ford Fusion and a free year of groceries as part of Eckrich’s participation in Operation Homefront this morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Almirola spoke about that and the new rules package being used this weekend after the presentation.
ARIC ALMIROLA – No. 43 Eckrich Ford Fusion – DOING THIS KIND OF EVENT NEVER GETS OLD, DOES IT. “It’s so special. To see the gratitude on their face and in their eyes, and to see how special that is for them is very rewarding. It’s amazing to be able to be a part of such a great company like Eckrich and Operation Homefront and everything they do to give back to our military families. Military familes do so much for us and it’s all behind the scenes to us. You read about it in the news from time to time, but there’s a lot that goes on that we don’t know about, and there are men and women every single day putting their life on the line fighting for our freedom, so to be able to have this opportunity to give back to them is special. It’s a big deal for us, but in the grand scheme of thing it’s a really small way to show our thanks and to be able to give back and to let them know that we appreciate them. Kroger, giving them a year of free groceries, and to give them a free car to drive around – a Ford Fusion – it’s really cool and it never gets old.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK WITH THIS NEW HIGH DRAG PACKAGE YESTERDAY? “I thought we had more drag. We were going slower down the straightaway, which meant we were on throttle more in the corners. I think it’ll be interesting to see how the race plays out on Sunday. Anytime you go and drive your car by yourself you can kind of get the balance close and you can get an idea for what your car is going to drive like, but when the green flag drops for the race is when we’ll really be able to tell if it’s an improvement for the racing or not.”
IS THIS SOMETHING YOU THINK WILL WORK AT MICHIGAN? “I don’t know, we’re not at Michigan yet. We’ll have to wait and see.”
WHAT DID YOU SAY TO THE MARTIN FAMILY WHEN YOU PRESENTED THE CAR? “I was just telling them that they’ve got one year worth of free groceries at Kroger and I said, ‘Of course, every time you go to Kroger you’re gonna have to buy Eckrich Smoked Sausage.’ I was just kidding around with them. It’s really cool that we get to do this with Eckrich and Operation Homefront and to be able to partner with Kroger here in Indianapolis and give this Indianapolis-based military family free groceries for a year is amazing. They can use it however they want, I was just kidding.”
WHAT MADE THIS FAMILY STAND OUT? “Operation Homefront joins forces with Eckrich and they are the ones that pick out the families that are the most deserving . Every family is deserving, but the families that need the most help and this family was top of the list, so it’s very special. I’ve gotten to meet the Martin family briefly and they seem like a great family. Luther, for all the support and sacrifice that he’s given to our country, this is just so cool to be able to donate and give back to them and help them. Their family is a special family from just the little bit I’ve talked to them and to have this opportunity is really cool.”
YOU’VE RUN FOUR NEW AERO PACKAGES IN FOUR DIFFERENT WEEKS. HOW HARD IS IT AS A DRIVER TO ADJUST TO THAT? “Honestly, for me, there’s a gas pedal, a brake and a clutch and a steering wheel in the car, so I just work on trying to get the car balanced and driving good. Whatever the rules package is it is and we just learn to adapt.”
