Even though it was coming, leaking from the little gaps that were widening as time was passing, it’s official now- Aric Almirola is not retiring from NASCAR just yet. The Stewart Haas Racing driver is set to return for the 2023 season, pulling off in a way, a Tom Brady.

The NFL superstar had called it quits from the sport earlier this year.

What happened next was what you’d expect, a flood of tributes, thankfulness, and a humongous acknowledgment and celebration of Brady’s greatness on a global level.

However, what was unexpected was that all those who paid their tributes and celebrated Brady’s genius as a form of a goodbye message were shocked to learn that Brady was backtracking on his decision.

He wasn’t retiring after all; he was coming back, and he did.

So perhaps in that sense, even though nobody would’ve ever thought of this comparison before this year, Aric Almirola is the Tom Brady of NASCAR.

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Aric Almirola extending his NASCAR deal puts a big dent in Kyle Busch’s SHR hopes

‘Where does Kyle Busch race in 2023?’, this has been perhaps the biggest question in the NASCAR community for quite some time now. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is looking less and less likely to race as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver next season.

This opened up a very specific list of teams that can realistically afford Busch and his demands. And amongst those teams, was Stewart-Haas Racing as well.

A big part of him joining the team owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas was the all but certain retirement of Almirola. But now that he has called it off, Busch’s chances of racing alongside Kevin Harvick are lower than ever.

Kyle Busch to SHR would’ve been a tricky scenario by default. And now it has become even tricker, a cause of worry for his fans and the driver himself.

But hey, Aric Almirola is happy.

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