It was surprising to see Ty Gibbs start the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the #20 JGR car. Veteran driver Aric Almirola, who returned to the Xfinity program with Joe Gibbs Racing, was scheduled to run the race. However, it has now come to light that Almirola was involved in a physical fight with Bubba Wallace, which eventually had him sidelined from Xfinity action.

Not an ideal return to Joe Gibbs Racing for Aric Almirola

A report by Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic confirmed that the incident happened during a competition meeting a week before the Charlotte race weekend. While the reason behind the spat is unknown, it is believed that Almirola instigated the fight with Bubba Wallace. As per Bianchi, “The altercation occurred early in the week leading into the Charlotte race during a weekly competition meeting that includes both the drivers of JGR and 23XI Racing — Toyota supports both teams, and they have a close technical alliance.”

Furthermore, it was noted that “The exact reason for the dispute is unknown, but those sources said the team viewed Almirola as the instigator. The decision was then made to suspend Almirola for the Charlotte race for which he had been originally listed as the driver of the #20 car.”

These reports have surfaced after Bubba Wallace denied any allegations of an altercation. On May 25, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass asked the 23XI driver if the altercation with Almirola was why the 40-year-old wasn’t in Charlotte. “Who said that?” asked Wallace. When informed it was the rumor going around, he added, “No, we’ve had our disagreements before, but damn, that’s crazy.” Turns out, the rumors were true, and Joe Gibbs did, in fact, suspend his veteran driver because of the brawl with Wallace. While it started as an indefinite suspension, JGR is expected to lift it soon, and Almirola will most likely run the July 20 Xfinity race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 40-year-old was having a dream return to the Xfinity Series in 2024 after calling it quits from Cup Series racing last season. However, the rest of it could be plagued by this incident, affecting his prospects. The Florida native started his Xfinity Series career with Joe Gibbs Racing. During the three-year stint, he started multiple races with different race cars. We all know how he had some unfinished business with the team after the Milwaukee race back in 2007.

Denny Hamlin was pulling double duty that weekend – running the Nextel Cup race in Sonoma and the Busch (now Xfinity) race in Milwaukee. When his helicopter couldn’t find a place to land, he missed the start, and Almirola filled in. Before he knew it, he was leading the race (after winning the pole). But things started to unravel for the veteran a few laps in.

Considering Hamlin was at the track, crew chief Dave Rogers wanted him in the car. Hamlin didn’t want to do it, but there was no convincing Rogers otherwise. Finally, the compromise came in: if Aric Almirola loses the lead, Hamlin gets in. That’s what happened on Lap 44. And on the next pit stop, Hamlin got in and eventually won the race. However, it was Almirola who “won” because he was the one who started it. Yet, he was understandably furious because of what happened.

So, owing to this and having bid farewell to Cup racing, team owner Joe Gibbs himself offered Almirola a drive. Next thing you know, he won the Martinsville race in the #20 Toyota car and had a storied end to his unfinished chapter with the team in the Xfinity Series. Reportedly, he was going to run around 15 races for the organization this season. However, in light of recent events, there might be some changes to his original schedule.

That sequence started with Ty Gibbs taking over the ride at Charlotte Motor Speedway and finishing 9th in that race. Recently, Christopher Bell took the wheel at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, scoring the team’s second win of the season. While reports suggest Almirola will be back in the seat for the Indianapolis race, there’s no clarity on how many he will feature in.

As for Bubba Wallace, he hasn’t commented on the situation since denying the claims of an altercation ever happening. It looks like he’s focused on the bigger picture, trying to collect crucial points to help him get into the playoffs.

Bubba Wallace is eager to turn around his misfortunes of the 2024 season

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An off-track incident involving a brawl certainly does not help Bubba’s cause. Especially given that the two drivers don’t even race against each other in the same series. Although there could be more to this saga, Bubba Wallace’s concerns lie elsewhere. He is making efforts to heal the scar on his recent run of results in the Cup Series.

The rain-washed Charlotte race was the last where he was close to getting a top-10 finish, eventually scoring a decent P11 finish. But, ever since that race, he just hasn’t been able to gather himself. In his next 4 starts, the driver finished 17th or worse. Last weekend in New Hampshire, he crashed out of the race with a DNF. So, he certainly is up against the clock, keeping in mind that he has yet to secure his playoff spot.

Placed 15th in the points standings, Bubba Wallace is on the bubble to drop out of the cutline. With eight races until the end of the regular season, he once again finds himself in a similar position as last year: making the playoffs on points.