Almirola ready to return this weekend after missing 2 months

Posted July 12, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Aric Almirola plans to return to action this weekend after missing two months of the NASCAR season with a fractured vertebra.

Richard Petty Motorsports announced Wednesday that Almirola would be back in the No. 43 car this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Almirola suffered an acute compression fracture to his T5 vertebra - just above the middle of his back - during a fiery multi-car wreck May 13 at Kanas Speedway.

The final step of his comeback involved a test Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Almirola said in a statement that "when something gets taken away from you at a moment's notice like that, it has certainly made me appreciate my passion for racing and my desire to compete at this level."

____

More AP Auto Racing: http://racing.ap.org/

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.