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‘Snakebitten’ Almirola looking to bite back going forward

NASCAR XFINITY Series Sparks Energy 300 - Qualifying

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 30: Aric Almirola, driver of the #98 Fresh From Florida Ford, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sparks Energy 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 30, 2016 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

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Aric Almirola doesn’t need to be reminded. He knows it’s been a rough year for him and the No. 43 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

His best finish this season is 12th in the season-opening Daytona 500. After being caught in the 18-car wreck and finishing 31st at Dover this past Sunday, Almirola dropped four spots to 25th in the Sprint Cup standings.

During Tuesday’s Goodyear tire test at Michigan International Speedway, Almirola said he hopes things will get better as the series moves into the middle third of the season.

“We honestly have just been somewhat snakebitten this year,” he said. “I can’t put my finger on why our luck has been so poor this year, but it just has.

“We’ve had silly mechanical failures, a part failure in the engine that doesn’t typically happen, and at Dover we got caught up in the wreck on the frontstretch that ruined our day.

“We just haven’t finished off the races like we need to run. There’s no hiding behind that. We can blame it on luck and other things and figure out how to get our season turned around.”

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