Yahoo Autos Almirola expected to return at IMS after suspension following altercation with Wallace
Aric Almirola is expected to be back behind the wheel soon for Joe Gibbs Racing after being suspended by the team for a physical altercation with Bubba Wallace. Almirola’s next Xfinity Series race with JGR is expected to be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20.
The Athletic reported the incident Thursday morning citing industry sources. Joe Gibbs Racing had no comment about the report.
Joe Gibbs Racing has an alliance with 23XI Racing, for whom Wallace is a driver. The two organizations work closely together, including competition briefings. Allegedly, the altercation happened at a meeting.
Almirola was supposed to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May. The altercation happened before that race weekend and he was subsequently sidelined, which raised eyebrows given the lack of information on the driver change. Ty Gibbs ended up driving the No. 20 Toyota Camry, and admitted to the media that weekend he was informed in the middle of the week that he’d be driving.
It is not the first time Almirola and Wallace have had a negative interaction. Almirola shoved Wallace during a heated discussion on pit road during a rain delay in last year’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The incident spilled over from how the two raced each other on the track.
