Aric Almirola Reportedly Suspended By Joe Gibbs Racing After Physical Altercation With Bubba Wallace

Not the first time these two have squared up... If you're plugged into NASCAR rumors, there have been rumblings for the past couple of weeks about Aric Almirola's status with Joe Gibbs Racing. The retired Cup Series driver signed to drive for JGR's Xfinity Series program in a handful of races, and was supposed to compete BetMGM 300 at Charlotte last month before being replaced on the entry list just days before the race by Ty Gibbs (grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs). Almirola hasn't appeared in the Gibbs car since, and fans began wondering if he had already been let go. There were also rumors swirling that Almirola had been let go after (allegedly) punching fellow NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace during a Toyota competition meeting. (Bubba drives a Toyota for 23XI Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing runs Toyotas in both the Xfinity and Cup Series). But earlier this week, a team representative confirmed to Toby Christie that Almirola was still with the team and would be returning to the Xfinity car for the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. That might not be the full story though. According to Jordan Bianchi for The Athletic , Almirola was, in fact, suspended by JGR after a physical altercation with Wallace. Bianchi says industry sources confirm that the altercation occurred in the week before the Charlotte race, which resulted in Almirola being removed from the car and indefinitely suspended. The reason for the altercation isn't known, but it's reported that the team viewed Almirola as the instigator in making the decision to suspend him. It's not the first time that these two have gotten into it either. During a red flag in last year's Coca-Cola 600 (also, coincidentally, at Charlotte), Almirola and Wallace were seen having words on pit road before Almirola delivered a hard shove to Wallace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmO26G_qu34 I guess we'll just have to wait and see if we get any more details about what happened this time around - or whether Almirola really does return to the car at Indianapolis.