Aric Almirola ‘goes to the playoffs’ after crossing the field, weather to grab the much-needed NASCAR victory

LOUDON, NH – Aric Almirola bore the weight of an unbeaten season while chasing the playoffs, which seemed unlikely for a driver buried deep in a Stewart-Haas Racing program that hadn’t yet taken a checkered flag.

His self-confidence declined. The pressure intensified in the No. 10 team.

As the darkness fell in New Hampshire, Almirola suddenly saw the season focus. Almirola came to life late Sunday on New Hampshire Motor Speedway and took a surprise win, a vital addition to the SHR, a new shake of the Ford and NASCAR playoffs.

“Coming to this competition, we never gave anyone a reason to choose us,” Almirola said. “It feels good to be in the underworld and come out of nowhere and get the race car we did.”

Almirola snapped the unbeaten pipe in the 98 race and added New Hampshire to a rain-shortened win in Daytona in 2014 and Talladega in 2018 from his third win in 374 races.

And he’s in the playoffs.

Almirola was the latest surprise winner and played havoc in the playoffs with only 16 races left before the 16-driver field was set. Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick are drivers who could use the profit and lift the dock.

The race was delayed by almost two hours in the rain, and NASCAR called it early because of the darkness, leaving it eight laps of its narrowed finish.

New Hampshire was scheduled for 301 laps and 318.46 miles. Almirola took the screen in 293 rounds. He broke up the Team Penske party – Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney had fun back and forth at one point – and Christopher Bell couldn’t catch him.

Bell won the Xfinty series race on Saturday and was second. Keselowski, Joey Logano and Blaney scored 3-4-5 for Team Penske.

“I felt like I probably had a slightly better pace than him, getting to him,” Bell said. “Lacquered cars gave him a bad time. If I could get to him, it was hell in the race.”

Almirola rested his head in the car, almost amazed in disbelief that he had found a place to drop.

“No doubt we have struggled,” Almirola said. “But guess what? We’re going to the playoffs.”

Almirola, who finished 27th in scoring order, was the first driver from a SHR package that includes Kevin Harvick, Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe to take the checkered flag. Almirola had only two top-10s this season. Harvick was sixth and led the competition’s top 66 laps.

Ford drivers took five of the top six spots.

According to Almirola, there was “enough light” for the race to continue to the scheduled finish.

NASCAR race director Scott Miller defended the decision to shorten the race.

“We just felt like it was getting too dark and we had to call it. It’s just as simple,” he said. “Based entirely on driveability.”

NASCAR started the race in wet conditions, and the decision became a disaster when the pole seat Kyle Busch spun on a slippery track and destroyed just six laps in the race. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin were also spun and a red flag waved to end the race. Truex and Hamlin returned to the race. Busch’s No. 18 race in Toyota was over and he pursed his tongue at the invitation of NASCAR to start the race.

“Initially, it should never have turned green, but then it kept getting worse round by round,” Busch said. “We’ve talked about two rounds that it rained. There’s no point in saying what I want to say, it’s not doing you any good.”

Hamlin said, “this is just a bad look.”

NASCAR executive director Steve O’Donnell told NBC Sports that the races have started in the fog, but the track “became slippery in a hurry.”