By alley - Sep 15, 2017, 4:06 PM ET

Almirola 'excited about whatever comes next'

Aric Almirola repeatedly deflected questions about his status for 2018 while saying it was Richard Petty Motorsports who informed him he would not be driving the No. 43 Ford next year.

"I can't talk about next year; you know I can't," Almirola said Friday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway. "I've enjoyed my time at RPM. We had six good years together. I was able to be one of the lucky ones to go to victory lane in the 43 car; I've had a great time there.

"It's been a lot of fun, it's been a learning curve for sure and I've enjoyed it and it's given me a foundation. I've been happy to call that place home for the last six years."

Earlier this week, Almirola's primary sponsor, Smithfield Foods, announced it would be moving to Stewart-Haas Racing next season. A few hours later, RPM revealed Almirola, who has driven full-time for the organization since 2012, would also not be back.

But in doing so,

Richard Petty said in a statement that Smithfield backed out of a handshake deal

that left him with the impression they were set for next year. Smithfield fired back about the legitimacy of Petty's comments, creating an environment Almirola said he has never been in before and does not want to get involved in.

Simply put, his job is to drive the racecar, and Almirola wants to finish the last 10 races on a high note. To do so, Almirola said he and everyone on the team will maintain a professional relationship going forward, having developed a family-like bond through the years.

"There's more to life than just racecars that go around in circles," Almirola said. "Obviously, I want to stay in the sport, I'm a competitor and I'm a racecar driver and I want to still be here, but right now, I'm excited about whatever comes next and I know I have the support that I need back home [with my family]."

In a contract year, Almirola said he was looking to be more competitive and if an offer had been on the table from RPM, "I think it would have been interesting, but Richard notified me many weeks ago that I wasn't going to be able to return to the 43 car."

Since the news of his impending departure came out, Almirola wouldn't say whether he's had offers but did admit he's been doing his own due diligence.

"I want to continue to compete and I want to drive a racecar," he said. "I feel like I have a lot of career left ahead of me. I want to race. I want to run up front. I want to win races, so yeah, I think it's important to try and stay relevant and stay in the sport."