Aric Almirola has not been in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra since Darlington in May. According to a report from The Athletic, the absence is due to a suspension.
Sources told Jordan Bianchi that Almirola was "the instigator" in a physical altercation with Bubba Wallace that led to his removal from the No. 20 JGR Toyota. There were no additional details about the incident.
Sources also told Bianchi that JGR indefinitely suspended Almirola after the incident. However, the suspension will end in time for the July 20 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This reported altercation is not the first between Wallace and Almirola. Last season at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Almirola shoved Wallace during a rain-delay confrontation and later said that Wallace was cussing at him.
Wallace did not comment on the situation post-race other than saying "When you walk around with two faces, that's what you get."
Almirola, who raced full-time in the Cup Series for 12 seasons, returned to Joe Gibbs Racing ahead of the 2024 season. He would make a set number of starts in Xfinity while sharing the No. 20 Toyota with John Hunter Nemechek. He would also serve as a mentor to the group of younger drivers.
The Florida native has made five starts in Xfinity this season. He made his season debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then returned to the car the following week at Phoenix Raceway. Almirola has three top-five finishes this season. His best finish is a win at Martinsville Speedway.
A variety of drivers have controlled the No. 20 Toyota since Almirola's last start. Gibbs drove the entry at Charlotte and finished ninth. Ryan Truex drove the entry at Portland. Nemechek made starts at Sonoma and Iowa.
Christopher Bell was the most recent driver to take over the No. 20 Toyota. He won the Xfinity race at New Hampshire, his first of two wins last weekend at the 1.058-mile track.