Almirola to share Martin ride in ‘08

Aric Almirola is set to join Ginn Racing next season to split the 2008 season in the organization’s No. 01 Chevrolet team with veteran Mark Martin, the Charlotte Observer reports. Almirola, a 23-year-old Tampa native, is currently a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and has run 22 Busch races, 30 Truck races and made one Cup start in is brief NASCAR career and remains under contract with JGR. It remains unclear how that status will be resolved.

An official announcement of Almirola’s plans could come as early as the Indianapolis race weekend later this month. Officials with Ginn and JGR had already left the track late Sunday and unavailable for comment.

Almirola has one Busch victory to his credit, when he started the June 23 race at Milwaukee but was pulled from the car and replaced with JGR Cup driver Denny Hamlin, who went on to claim the victory.