Recent sources suggest a feud is brewing inside the Toyota camp, dating only as far back as last month’s Coca-Cola 600. Some fans would not be surprised to hear the primary characters involved: Bubba Wallace and Aric Almirola. For those who remember, the former ‘Drive for Diversity’ alums have been in tangles more than once.

Some might recall a shoving match that ironically dates back to last year’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 when tensions flared between ex-SHR driver Almirola and current 23XI wheelman Wallace under the red flag. That seemingly did not end with only a few words exchanged and a push. Almost a year later, the duo made headlines for an altercation again, resulting in a suspension for Almirola and maybe a bruised ego for Bubba.

Yet, another year and another controversy, followed by some contradictory statements, left little room for Wallace to stay in the good books of the wider NASCAR community. Likewise, the latter came in strongly to disapprove of the former’s most recent actions, hardly aligning with his indicative desires in a dismal 2024 season.

Aric Almirola’s ‘advice’ to Bubba Wallace: The impact of past animosity & the public eye

Six years have passed since Wallace boasted two race wins, both coming with a different team in 23XI Racing. He champions those triumphs alongside the honor of becoming the only African-American NASCAR driver to have won more than once in any three NASCAR National Touring Series. But back in 2017–18, times were different, to say the least, for Bubba as a Cup Series rookie.

A series of Twitter updates by Daniel McFadin of Frontstretch attempting to shed light on long-standing issues between Almirola and Wallace following the contentious incidents at Charlotte last year reveal a concerning picture. According to McFadin’s post, he cites an incident from the 2018 media tour where there was an interaction regarding a piece of “advice” a soon-to-depart Almirola had given Wallace.

The tweet read, “@CandiceSpencer said Almirola’s advice was “don’t make the King mad.” Wallace’s response: “It’s funny that Aric wants to give advice. I still have the text he sent me before my debut (in the 43), which wasn’t advice.” Multiple sources agree that those comments from the #23 driver may signal more uncovered frustrations between himself and Almirola from an even more distant past.

But now that we know that neither the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 scuffle nor the most recent at this year’s equivalent event was their first-ever dust-up, let us also look at Bubba’s most recent update on his contentious actions.

It is important to remember that a recent article by FOX reporter Bob Pockrass projects that when Bubba was asked back in May if he knew anything about Almirola’s mysterious disappearance from JGR’s #20 car at Charlotte, he denied any wrongdoing. Even going as far as to state, “We’ve had our disagreements before, but damn, that’s crazy.”

However, before the Ally 400 at Nashville would advance, Bubba would re-update Pockrass and FOX, with some questionable remarks, saying, “They don’t want me to get into the details. Keep some people’s images good, think I have said enough at Charlotte last year, so… All in all, life is good for me. You know, that s**t happened over a month ago. And a lot of good’s come my way and that’s what I am focused on. I am focused on getting our stuff turned back around… Off the racetrack, I am focused on my wife and baby boy that’s growing and growing. So that’s all you can really ask for. Things are good for me off track, not so much on track. That’s what we’re focused on right now. So there you go…”

This statement by the #23 driver, who is currently balancing a lot on his plate, left plenty divided over Pockrass’ Twitter post of the interview. As it happens, Bubba awaits the birth of his first child with his wife, Amanda Wallace. The soon-to-be-parents are on the verge of stepping into a heartwarming chapter in their intertwined lives, blessed under the ultimate union of holy matrimony.

But the beginning parts of Wallace’s statement to Pockrass angered many, regardless of the gravity of Bubba’s cherishable updates in his conclusion. And just like the cruel nature of fan fury on social media, they rained down on Bubba in ways that are still unimaginable to many.

#23’s cryptic comments fuel more fan division

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As most must be aware by now, Almirola drives the #20 Xfinity car part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bubba drives the #23 Camry XSE for their technical allies, the 23XI. Both teams share data and indulge in team meetings for collective goal-fulfillment purposes as Toyota-backed teams, among various other undisclosed reasons.

The ‘recent’ incident in the current question happened at one of these meetings before the Charlotte weekend. And reports confirm Almirola as the apparent aggressor during the events. This led to the #20 car changing hands a few times in the past few weeks, and as per newer reports, the #20 Toyota will see Almirola’s return as soon as next month’s Indy Xfinity race. 

Bubba, on the other hand, is facing somewhat of a slump this season. Having finished P17 or below in his last 4 races, the #23 driver faces one of the longest winless streaks in the NASCAR Cup Series spectrum. Heading to Nashville, Wallace will be coasting off 62 races without a victory. His semi-retired rival from Joe Gibbs only recently won his second Xfinity race for the race team after 17 long years. Based on performance and results alone, many online claim that an altercation with Aric was the last thing necessary for Bubba.

But it has barely ever been that simple for the 30-year-old Mobile, Alabama, native. One fan replied to Pockrass’ post, sarcastically writing, “They don’t want me to get into the details” but also “let me take a vague shot at someone”—a fair observation of Wallace’s statements owing to their double nature. When elaborating on those sentiments, another fan added, “The professional thing to say would have been, No comment. It’s between me and Aric. Move on.”

But as has often been the case with Bubba, he “had it on a silver platter to take the high road and went directly for the unlikeable response,”  opined an observant member of the NASCAR community. Some harkened to Bubba Wallace’s trouble-making capacities of the past, like this fan who thinks, “We are well into “if you find trouble everywhere you go, the problem is you” territory with this guy.”

To lend some truth to that comment, a similar-thinking supporter referred to Wallace’s shoving match with a certain Hendrick driver, which raised controversy only a couple of years ago in Vegas. Their comment cheekily read, “Unlike Kyle Larson, Aric will take it to ya.”

Although not all were dismissive of Almirola’s role in the events, like this diehard who brutally commented, “Only took like 15 years for people to realise Almirola isn’t the nice guy people think he is.” But the emotions targeted towards Bubba were even more brutal, evident through comments like, “This is why people don’t like him, not other reasons but because he acts like a child.”

Laying out a perfect conclusion and a brilliant point of view, this well-informed member of the comments cacophony provided a much more civilized opinion than most of his social media counterparts. They wrote, “Aric seems like such a nice guy. Bubba needs to check his emotions and/or maybe ego a bit. Love you man but chill and focus.” A brilliant opinion to hold over such a contentious conversation.