Cuban American NASCAR star Aric Almirola reminds fans that "our freedom is not free"
Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola will honor hero Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor during the Coca-Cola 600 with the fallen veteran's name on his car. Monsoor was awarded the Medal of Honor for throwing himself onto a grenade to save other members of his SEAL team in Iraq.
Aric Almirola is hanging up his helmet.
Aric Almirola has announced plans to retire from NASCAR at the end of the 2022 season. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The 37-year-old has announced that 2022 will be his last year as a NASCAR Cup Series driver.
He said in a video message posted to YouTube that he wants to spend more time with his wife Janice and their two young children, Alex and Abby, who turn 10 and 9 this year.
Aric and Janice Almirola attended the NASCAR awards banquet in Nashville in December. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
"I have a short window to spend with them while they still think dad’s cool," Almirola said.
"Before you know it they’re gonna have car keys, and they’re gonna be running off with their friends and I’m gonna miss it, and, so, I don’t want to miss it."
Almirola's most recent win came at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Almirola said the though and prayed hard over the decision and that "the questions are the same as anybody else would have when you’re going to stop doing something. Can I afford it? And the answer I came up with was ‘can I afford not to?’"
"When I look at everything holistically, I don’t have any regrets. It all played out exactly how God intended."
Almirola will drive the all-new NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas racing for the full 2022 season. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver, who started racing in go-karts at age eight, said he's looking forward to racing the all-new Next Gen Cup Series car this year, but feels it's finally time that family's life didn't revolve around his schedule.
Almirola is entering his 11th full-time season in the Cup Series, where he has won three races, finished a career high fifth in the driver's standings in 2018 and feels he has accomplished all he needs to.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Results and trophies and all of those things at this point is not going to change my life," he said. "What is going to change my life, you know, is a quality relationship with my wife and my kids."