Aric Almirola wrecks from the lead during Crayon 301 restart at New Hampshire

Well, the Aric Almirola win hopes are gone. After running P2 for many laps, Almirola’s pit crew let him down a little bit. Okay, it was more than a little bit. Almirola was one of the best cars and drivers on the day in New Hampshire. However, the pit crew didn’t get his wheel on tight enough before the NASCAR restart.

Coming out of a caution for an Erik Jones spin, Aric Almirola stayed out on the track to take the lead. He ran behind Martin Truex Jr. for dozens of laps in P2. He was looking for a mistake. Anything he could find to take advantage of the 19.

However, on this restart, his right rear wheel was loose. Almirola had a blowout coming out of Turn 2 and went into the wall. His day was done after this.

Aric Almirola crashes out of the race from the race lead!#NASCAR on USA Network. pic.twitter.com/XE8owy7YJV

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 17, 2023

This is such a tough break for Aric Almirola. He entered the race 27th in the points standings. He needs a win to make the playoffs. This was his chance to at least put up a bunch of points and see if he could close the gap there. In the end, he goes out before the end of Stage 2 and is going to be wondering what could have been in New Hampshire.

While it looked like it would last, the magic finally ran out for Almirola on the Magic Mile.

Aric Almirola not the only victim of New Hampshire Motor Speedway

New Hampshire Motor Speedway has changed over the years. It has been two years since they applied the PJ1 resin on this track. It used to always go down, but no longer. There are so many patches of new asphalt, old asphalt, and the deep seams between the grooves on the track make it hard to move around on at times.

Aric Almirola shouldn’t feel too bad. Earlier in the race, Kyle Busch and Corey LaJoie found themselves hitting the wall in Turn 2. It wasn’t due to a loose wheel. Still, it was an example of what could happen to you on this track if you aren’t paying attention or if you try to find grip somewhere it isn’t to be found.

Busch hit the wall hard, and for the third time of the weekend. He pulled off the trifecta, practice, qualifying, and the race. For Almirola though, it does sting a bit more. You knew you had a great car. Qualified P3 and ran second for most of the afternoon.

With this wreck, Aric Almirola is going to be kicking himself. His pit crew will be kicking themselves. The crew told him that his wheels were on tight, after he asked. They said they were. After the wreck, he asked what happened – “Wasn’t tight.” Tough break for the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team.