This isn’t the first rodeo for Aric Almirola. The 41-year-old and Sammy Smith have a history. Remember the 2024 Martinsville Xfinity race? The closing laps, the intensity escalated as both positioned themselves for a potential victory. It was Aric who triumphed to hold off challenges from Smith, ultimately scoring the win by a margin of 0.587 seconds. They raced each other with respect and controlled aggression. But things looked different this year at the Round of 8 race at Talladega.

Throughout the early stages, both drivers were maneuvering within the single-file draft, jockeying for positions as Austin Hill and other leaders maintained control at the front. However, the drama unfolded when Smith pulled an aggressive move that ended Aric’s day. And Smith couldn’t help but sort things o

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