Mike Ford has been announced as the new crew chief for the #43 car of Aric Almirola. The change is effective immediately meaning that Ford will be calling the shots this weekend at Talladega. Almirola’s crew chief had previously been Greg Erwin. Richard Petty is hopeful that presence of Mike Ford will return Richard Petty Motorsports to victory lane.
And for good reason. Ford has a history of success at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level, serving as the crew chief of Denny Hamlin and the #11 during their recent six year run of qualifying for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. During his time as the crew chief for Hamlin’s car the team won 17 races and notched 66 top-five finishes and 108 finishes inside the top-10.
No role has been announced for Erwin. In eight races this year, Almirola has one top-10 finish and is 24th in the standings.