Racing in NASCAR puts drivers under intense pressure. So things can get hot, even among teammates. A violent disagreement between two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers is causing commotion in the garage.
This appears to be what occurred between Aric Almirola and Bubba Wallace in late May. Joe Gibbs Racing has a long history of fielding vehicles in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The automobile is usually reserved for full-time Cup drivers.
Almirola, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, left full-time Cup racing and has now returned to JGR, the organization that gave him a chance many years ago.
He has driven the No. 20 Toyota many times this season, including a win at Martinsville earlier this year.
The altercation between Aric Almirola and Bubba Wallace forces Joe Gibbs’ hand. Almirola hasn’t been seen at the racetrack in a while. Fans were perplexed as to why Almirola had been withdrawn from the May 25th race in Charlotte.
Rumors started floating over the last few weeks, and many of them were negative. Those speculations suggested that Almirola and Wallace had a heated argument during a team meeting.
These rumors included Wallace saying something about Almirola’s family, which prompted Aric to hurl hands at Wallace. Many supporters began to speculate that Almirola was sacked.
This week, Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic confirmed that Almirola and Wallace had an altercation. Following the incident, Joe Gibbs Racing suspended Almirola indefinitely for being the aggressor in the confrontation.
The alleged incident occurred prior to the Charlotte race weekend, and team owner Joe Gibbs promptly replaced Almirola with his grandson Ty Gibbs for that weekend’s Xfinity Series event.
The facts of the altercation remain unclear, and JGR has yet to officially respond to Bianchi’s report. It is clearly not a favorable situation for everyone involved.
Not The First Incident
However, Almirola and Wallace already have a strained relationship. The two were initially linked after Almirola was injured at Kansas Speedway in 2017.
Bubba was assigned to drive the No.43 while Almirola was recovering from a back ailment.
That friendship has clearly eroded since then, as the two had a huge disagreement during last season’s Coca-Cola 600. During a rain delay on pit road, Almirola and Wallace were spotted shoving one another.
Almirola appeared to be upset with Wallace, stating he kept flipping him off when they were jostling for position during the race.
The incident is easily viewable on NASCAR.com’s YouTube channel.
At the time, Almirola also stated that Wallace was only “mouthing off and cussing at me.” Wallace later answered simply, describing Almirola as ‘two-faced’. It’s evident that Almirola and Wallace have difficulties, but it’s unclear what sparked the altercation in the team meeting.
What’s Next
It is unclear what happens next for each driver, but JGR has confirmed that Almirola will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Indianapolis on July 20th. Wallace rejected rumors of a brawl with Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “No, we’ve had our disagreements before, but damn, that’s crazy,” she said.
It’s evident JGR held Almirola accountable, and he was appropriately punished; hopefully, nothing further happens between the two. Wallace has a lot more to lose as a full-time Cup driver attempting to advance his No. 23 Toyota into the Cup Series playoffs for the second consecutive year.
