In May 2024, the NASCAR world was rocked by a heated brawl between Bubba Wallace and Aric Almirola. This triggered dramatic consequences for Almirola’s career. Almirola “sucker punched” Wallace during a 23XI Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing competition meeting, igniting outrage and chaos. This physical confrontation prompted Joe Gibbs Racing to suspend their trusted veteran indefinitely. He was replaced by Ty Gibbs for the Charlotte Xfinity race.

This entire episode exposed deep-seated rivalries within the sport. Wallace maintained a diplomatic stance, telling The Washington Post he prefers to “keep some people’s images good,”. The incident marked a low point for Almirola. He returned to JGR on a part-time basis after retiring from full-time Cup Series racing in 2023. The brawl not only strained their relationship, but also brought NASCAR’s strict policies on physical altercations. But it seems like things are heating up once again.

Bubba Wallace isn’t ready to bury the hatchet yet

On March 8, 2025, Aric Almirola secured a dramatic NASCAR Xfinity Series win in the GOVX 200 at Phoenix Raceway. Driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Almirola clinched his eighth career Xfinity victory in an overtime thriller, overtaking Alex Bowman on the final lap with door-to-door contact. He led 25 laps, taking the lead in the last 200 feet after a four-wide battle on the final restart. The 40-year-old, racing part-time post-retirement, called the move necessary. But Wallace didn’t shy from taking a sly dig at him.

Bubba Wallace reignited his feud with Aric Almirola, delivering a sharp jab on X about Almirola’s controversial win at Phoenix Raceway. The post, quoting NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck’s poll on Almirola’s last-lap contact with Alex Bowman, read, “You acting like the 17 got… sucker punched🤔.” Wallace’s tweet drew immediate reactions, including shock and laughter from followers, amplifying the ongoing rivalry. Wallace seems not to be letting go of the cheap shot Almirola took earlier on him.

As the focus shifts from the Xfinity race to the Cup Series race at Phoenix. It will be interesting to see how Wallace fares there after his jab at Almirola. Bubba Wallace notably has only one top-10 finish at Phoenix in his career, but that did come in his most recent run during the 2024 Championship race. And if Wallace is involved in any sort of controversy, will we see a rebuttal from Almirola?

Well, despite Wallace’s jabs on Twitter, all his punches are only thrown behind the screen, unlike Almirola.

Wallace has found a new outlook in life post fatherhood

Bubba Wallace is having a great 2025! He’s 31, driving the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing and sitting sixth in NASCAR Cup Series points after grabbing ninth at Atlanta. Off the track, he’s loving life as a new dad since his son, Becks Hayden, arrived on September 29, 2024. “I’m humbled to be where I am in life,” he told me. “I’m blessed to have a beautiful wife and a healthy baby boy. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

This season kicked off on an awesome note for him. He won a Daytona 500 qualifying race and lifted Becks like Simba from The Lion King. “That was a really cool spur of the moment type thing with the Simba movement,” he laughed. Even when he messed up at Circuit of the Americas, thinking about Becks kept him going. “After I made three mistakes, I found myself often thinking about my son and the laughs he provides my wife and I,” he said. “That let the frustrations go away for a moment.” Wallace also has the footprint of his son on his helmet for the 2025 season. A symbol that Wallace is heading toward a new path in life, as fatherhood takes precedence over all.

After a tough 2024 with no wins, his new crew chief, Charles Denike, has gotten things clicking. “We’re 16 points up, having Charles on top of the box, and he’s been a great addition for our team,” Bubba said. Now, as they head to Phoenix, Wallace will look to capitalize on his improvement and secure a playoff berth for 23XI Racing for the first time since 2023. Do you think Wallace has what it takes to win at the Desert Oddball? Let us know in the comments!