Aric Almirola has been suspended by Joe Gibbs Racing after a run-in with Bubba Wallace. According to The Athletic, the alleged incident occurred during a weekly competition meeting involving drivers from both Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing, the team Wallace drives for.
According to reports, Almirola was the instigator. The team subsequently indefinitely suspended him, pulling him from the seat of their No. 20 Toyota in the Xfinity Series.
Almirola had been entered in that week’s Xfinity Series race at Charlotte, but a mid-week driver change to Ty Gibbs was made with little fanfare. JGR representatives did not disclose a reason for the change at the time, saying it was a “team decision.”
Thus, Almirola won’t be behind the wheel this weekend. He is expected to be back sometime in July,
This is not the first time the two drivers have gotten into it.
At the Coca-Cola 600 last year, the pair were seen arguing. There, Almirola shoved Wallace and later claimed that Wallace shot the bird at him, mouthing off and cursing at him. For his part, Wallace called Almirola “two-faced.”
No one knows exactly why the pair don’t get along. But it’s clear they don’t like each other. And this latest incident adds more fuel to this already blazing fire.
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.