Yahoo Autos Wallace trying to put private Almirola altercation out of his mind
Bubba Wallace did not offer details about the altercation with Aric Almirola that happened before the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway but surfaced in the media this week.
“They don’t want me to get into details; keeps some people’s images good,” Wallace said at Nashville Superspeedway. “I think I said enough at Charlotte last year, so all in all, life is good for me. That [expletive] happened over a month ago and a lot of good has come my way, and that’s what I’m focused on.
“I’m focused on getting our stuff turned back around and off the racetrack I’m focused on my wife and baby that’s growing and growing. That’s all you can really [ask] for, so things are good for me off track. Not so much on track — that’s what we’re focusing on right now. There you go; that’s the only question you’ll get.”
Almirola was suspended internally by Joe Gibbs Racing before the Xfinity Series race at Charlotte (May 25). He was replaced by Ty Gibbs (who found out he’d be driving mid-week) and the only available information at the time was the organization saying it was a “team decision.” Almirola is expected to return to the seat at Indianapolis Motor Speedway next month.
Joe Gibbs Racing had no report on the altercation becoming public. It was initially reported by The Athletic.
Wallace’s reference to his comments last year stemmed from the Coca-Cola 600. On pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway during a rain delay, the two got into a heated debate about their on-track competition. It resulted in Almirola shoving Wallace.
“When you walk around with two faces, that’s what you get,” Wallace said at the time.
Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing have an alliance, including competition meetings with Toyota. Denny Hamlin, the co-owner of 23XI Racing, didn’t have much to add about the situation or detail about what happened between Wallace and Almirola.
“I don’t really have a comment on it because I wasn’t there at the time,” Hamlin said after winning the pole for the Ally 400. “I don’t know what all transpired. It’s all hearsay from my standpoint. And at 23XI, we let Joe Gibbs Racing handle it and they did what they saw fit.
“Again, I don’t know all the details because I didn’t want to get too much into the personal business and I still don’t.”
