Aric Almirola’s journey to racing’s limelight began in 1992, when he began go-kart racing at the age of eight. He quickly collected championships at both the state and local levels, and advanced to national competition in 1998. Almirola solidified his racing talents in the World Karting Association when he earned the pole for the series’ prestigious Grand National event in Daytona. He finished the year fourth in the national standings.

Fast forward now to the present where he and the rest of the NASCAR drivers prepare for their upcoming season as they start off the season with the Daytona 500. Almirola did have success there on that track a few times. He wants to win the race there in Daytona so he can bring home the Harley J. Earl Trophy.

I had the great opportunity to chat with Aric about driving the iconic 43 car, what he did in the offseason and his thoughts on being a father. Make sure you check him and his fellow drivers this Sunday on FOX at 2 pm EST for the Daytona 500.

Aric is married to his wife, Janice and they have two children; Alex and Abby.

Art Eddy: You drive the iconic 43 car. What does it mean to you to drive the car that Richard Petty made iconic and did Richard Petty give you any advice on racing?

Aric Almirola: (Laughs) No, not much that advice anymore. The cars and the sport have changed and evolved so much from when he drove. He is just more of a support system. He cheers me on and roots me on. He is there if I have any questions.

Most of it has to do with dealing with sponsors, the fans and the media and things off and away from the race track. From the aspect of driving the 43 car it is an honor. It makes me really proud to drive that race car. I feel like a lucky guy that gets to drive our sports most iconic car. To have that opportunity is awesome. I am extremely grateful for it, but it doesn’t really change anything. It is still just a race car. It is made out of metal. I sit inside of it and try and beat all of my competitors.

AE: NASCAR is starting back up. What do you do in the short offseason to get ready for another season?

AA: This offseason was really just about resting and recharging. We didn’t get on an airplane. We didn’t really go anywhere. We didn’t vacation anywhere. We sort of had a staycation. That was really nice. That was the first time since I have been involved in the sport that we didn’t take off. As soon as Homestead was over we didn’t go vacation somewhere or go to a beach or something like that.

We just stayed home. It was really nice to be somewhat of just a normal dad for a month and a half. Being able to get up in the morning and have breakfast with my kids and get them ready for school. I would go to the shop and work out and spend some time around the guys. That was really nice and fun. Honestly it was very relaxing. We didn’t hustle to get on an airplane to go anywhere. We didn’t go on any extravagant vacation or anything like that. It was a nice offseason.

AE: Take me back to the 2014 win at Daytona. What will you take from that victory for the race this year at Daytona?

AA: I think the biggest thing coming off of winning my first Cup Race here at Daytona and then winning the Xfinity Race last year is that I just have confidence. When I show up to Daytona I have confidence that I know how to be successful here. I know how to win. I know exactly where Victory Lane is.

I think it gives me confidence coming into the Daytona 500 and it is sort of the missing puzzle piece to my trophy case. I got a trophy from winning a Cup Race here and winning an Xfinity Race here, but I don’t have a Harley J. Earl Trophy. I would love to add that one to the list.

AE: What are your pre-race rituals on race day?

AA: I don’t have any rituals. I don’t have any superstitions. My PR and marketing staff do a really good job of building my schedule of where it is the same. It doesn’t matter if it is the Daytona 500 or it’s a race at Bristol in the middle of the year. My schedule is the same. A couple hours before the race I start doing some sponsor appearances and media. Then we have the drivers meeting. Then it is time to get ready for driver introductions and the race.

There is a lot more hype and a lot more attention around the Daytona 500, but for the most part my routine is pretty much the same whether it is the Daytona 500 or another race.

AE: What were some of the first few thoughts that popped into your mind when you found out that you were going to be a dad?

AA: Well I was scared when I found out I was going to be a dad. You never really know if you are ready for that or prepared, but the reality is that you can never be prepared for that. You can’t know what it is like to be responsible for another human being. I think that is the one thing that changes when you become a parent. From the time you were born all you really care about is yourself. You are really just focused on yourself. What you want and when you want it.

When you have kids that changes 180 degrees. You are now responsible for this living human being. It is not about you anymore. It is about your kids. You try and figure out how to provide for them and also how to give them a good life and give them every opportunity to be successful in this world. That is the most challenging part about being a parent.

AE: I think NASCAR is very family friendly. I see guy able to have their family with them on occasion throughout the year. For you how do you balance work and family?

AA: I think NASCAR is an incredibly family friendly sport. It is very inviting. What kid doesn’t like loud race car noises and watching race cars go 200 miles per hour? It is exciting. It is very thrilling. It is a family atmosphere. People who come to the races come for the entire weekend. They camp out. They make a whole family event out of it. They probably grill out. I am sure that they grill a lot Smithfield products in the infield.

It is a really cool weekend and a really cool atmosphere. It is great especially for the families. It is one thing to come here with a group of buddies or something like that and have some fun, but to be able to come out and experience a NASCAR race with family is special.

AE: What are some of the core values you look to instill in your kids as they grow up?

AA: The main core values that I try to instill into my kids is that you have to work for everything. No one is going to give you anything including your parents. I am not going to take you to the store for the heck of it and buy you a toy just because it is a Tuesday.

You have to earn things. You have to be willing to pitch in around the house. You got to be able to take the garbage out and clean up your room and take care of your toys. You got to be respectful. I think that is one thing that we want to instill in our kids. We don’t want them to be spoiled rotten. We don’t want them to be jerks. We want them to be good, respectable adults when they grow up. That all starts now when they are kids.

AE: What advice do you have for new dads?

AA: Expect the unexpected. There is no book that you can read that will prepare you for fatherhood. You can read all the blogs that you want. You can read all the stuff online that you want. Your kid is going to be different. Every kid is an individual. We have two kids of our own. A four year old boy and a three year old girl. Even though we are the same parents and we try to raise them the same way they have different personalities. They have different identities and you have to be willing to adapt.

Life of Dad Quick Five

AE: Do you guys have a favorite family movie that you all love to watch together?

AA: Elf at Christmastime.

AE: Do you guys have a favorite song that you all like to sing to or dance to as a family?

AA: Right now our favorite family song is the Moana song. Our daughter is all about that movie that just came out. I can hum the tune, but I don’t know any of the words.

AE: Describe the perfect family vacation.

AA: The perfect family vacation with the kids are as young as they are is definitely not the ski slope. We tried that. That was awful. Somewhere at the beach. The kids are playing in the sand and in the waves. Me and Janice chilling on the beach with our feet in the sand and maybe with a cocktail in one hand.

AE: What was the first car you bought?

AA:  A Ford F-150. I shared a car with my parents when I first got my license. When I got older and was getting ready to move to North Carolina to pursue a career in racing they said that we couldn’t share a car anymore. So I bought a burgundy F-150 and drove it to North Carolina.

AE: What track would you tell a NASCAR fan to go to for their first time checking out a race live at the track?

AA: Any of them. Whichever one is closest and nearest to you. If you can find a NASCAR track that we are coming at that is nearest to you I can assure you that we are going to put on one heck of an event. It is going to be a fun and exciting time. I wouldn’t single one racetrack from any other. I think all the events that we put on are fun and exciting.

Follow Aric on Twitter @aric_almirola