Tensions escalated at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 as Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott’s feud dominated attention. However, Aric Almirola and Bubba Wallace also exchanged heatedly, with Almirola shoving Wallace. The cause of the altercation remained undisclosed, but Wallace hinted at duplicity. Almirola expressed dissatisfaction with Wallace’s racing tactics, claiming he felt disrespected. The incident added to the mounting frustration of drivers like Ryan Blaney, who acknowledged the challenges of winning.
Fox News: Aric Almirola shoves Bubba Wallace during Coca-Cola 600 rain delay
Ryan Gaydos; May 30, 2023
Tensions were running high at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 on Monday night, and as the war of words between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott appeared to catch most of the attention of fans, Aric Almirola and Bubba Wallace were also in a tiff.
Almirola and Wallace appeared to have a tense exchange, and Almirola gave Wallace a shove. Wallace refused to say what was said that caused the shove.
“When you walk around with two faces, that’s what you get,” the 23XI Racing team member said.
Almirola said he did not like how Wallace was racing him on the track.
“Just early in the race. I felt like I was running him pretty clean and I felt like he was racing me pretty dirty,” Almirola said, via NASCAR.com. “He run me all over the racetrack and then he got by me and he shot me the bird so I just went to ask him ‘why are you throwing me the bird,’ like I gave him a lot of room and gave him a lot of respect and he started mouthing off and just saying a lot of bad things and cussing.
“I got my point across. I let him know that it’s not acceptable. He’s not gonna cuss at me and shoot me the bird.”
Wallace finished in fourth place and Almirola finished in 25th.
Ryan Blaney ended his 59-race winless streak with a victory at Charlotte.
“You start to get to feel like you can’t win anymore,” Blaney said. “We hadn’t won in a while and that can get hard. I want to thank the 12 (team) for believing in me.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photo: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports