Aric Almirola vowed to “make it hell” for Kyle Busch throughout the remainder of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after the two drivers were involved in a wreck during the race at Martinsville Speedway.
In the third and final stage of the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, one of the eight drivers in the round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs still competing for a championship, made contact with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, who was eliminated following the round of 16.
This contact in turn four of the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Martinsville Speedway oval in Ridgeway, Virginia led to both Busch’s #18 Toyota and Almirola’s #10 Ford spinning out.
Almirola’s #10 Ford ended up getting pummeled by the #48 Chevrolet of Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson, knocking both drivers out of the race. Busch, meanwhile, avoided disaster and was able to keep his car running.
Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola trigger a wild crash at Martinsville pic.twitter.com/f0U6ytQseS
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 27, 2019
Busch went on to run in the top 10 before ultimately finishing in 14th place, the second lowest among the round of 8 drivers.
More from NASCAR Cup Series
- NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
- NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
- NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
- NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
- NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500
Only Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, who worked his way from the rear of the field to the top five, finished lower, as a broken axle mired him 55 laps down. He finished in 36th.
With two of three races remaining in the round of 8, Busch sits in third place in the playoff picture, 17 points ahead of the Championship 4 cut line.
But Almirola’s vowed to “make it hell” for Busch, whose 19-race win drought is the longest among the round of 8 drivers, throughout the final three races of the season.
After the wreck, Almirola, who referenced an incident with Busch at the track back in the March race when asked about what went down in this particular incident, stated the following.
"“We’ve got three more weeks, and I’m going to make it hell for him.”"
Last season, Almirola made a similar claim after he was upset about the way Team Penske’s Joey Logano, who was already locked into the Championship 4 at the time, raced him at Texas Motor Speedway.
Almirola, fighting for one of the other three spots in the Championship 4 as a round of 8 driver, stated the following.
"“When Homestead comes around, if I’m not in, he’ll know it.”"
Logano then went on to win the championship. Almirola, who did not qualify for the Championship 4, did not pose any kind of threat to Logano in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Three races remain on the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, including two in the round of 8 and the Championship 4 season finale. Will Aric Almirola “make it hell” for Kyle Busch like he vowed to after their wreck at Martinsville Speedway?