Bubba Wallace mum on Aric Almirola altercation: 'Keep some people's images good'

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LEBANON, Tenn. — Bubba Wallace acknowledged there was an incident between him and Aric Almirola in May but wouldn’t go into details.

Joe Gibbs Racing officials would only say that Almirola missed his scheduled Xfinity Series start in May at Charlotte for a “team decision” and would not confirm reports that Almirola and Wallace were in an altercation at a meeting of Toyota drivers.

A year ago, during a rain delay of the Cup race at Charlotte, Wallace and Almirola had words following hard racing on the track and Almirola shoved Wallace. At the time, Wallace said: “When you walk around with two faces, that’s what you get.”

What occurred at the meeting in late May was not clear, although Wallace was not disciplined. Almirola, who was scheduled to do the majority of the 23 Xfinity races that John Hunter Nemechek isn’t doing this year, will make his next start in July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

During his required meeting with reporters Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, Wallace, after qualifying in Row 12 for the race Sunday, said he would take one question on the incident.

“They don’t want me to get into the details, keep some people’s images good,” Wallace said.  I think I said enough at Charlotte last year. All in all, life is good for me. That s- 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 off the racetrack, I’m focused on my (pregnant) wife and baby boy that’s growing and growing, and so that’s all you can really ask for. Things are good for me off track. But not so much on track. That’s what we’re focused on right now. So there you go. That’s the only question you’ll get.”

Wallace had initially denied the incident when asked on May 25 if he had been punched by Almirola, calling the rumors “crazy.”

Denny Hamlin, who owns Wallace’s car at 23XI Racing while he drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, said he didn’t witness the incident.

“At 23XI, we let Joe Gibbs Racing handle it and they did what they saw fit,” Hamlin said. “I don’t know all the details because I didn’t want to get too much into the personal business and still don’t.”

Hamlin said Wallace is handling the frustrations of the season — Wallace is currently on the outside looking in of the playoff bubble — better than he has in the past.

“He’s doing a better job of not outwardly showing that [frustration],” Hamlin said. “I just think that comes with maturity, and he’s maturing.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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