Aric Almirola speaks out on Pocono run-in with Matt DiBenedetto

Aric Almirola opened up to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday morning regarding his run-in with Matt DiBenedetto on pit road following the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. Following the conclusion of Sunday's Gander Outdoors 400 at the "Tricky Triangle," DiBenedetto angrily confronted the Stewart-Haas Racing driver by his No. 10 Ford Fusion -- after also taking a swipe at Almirola's ride with his No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford on the cooldown lap. RELATED: See what transpired between Almirola and DiBenedetto "He was frustrated or upset, I guess, that I passed him on the last lap," Almirola said during the interview. "I don't know. I guess he thought that I shouldn't race for 25th. I race for every spot all race long; I don't care if it's for 25th or for the lead. I guess he thought I should have let him finish 25th and I wasn't going to do that. "I passed him in the Tunnel Turn on the last lap and he said I took his line away from him and he was upset about it. I don't know. I hate it for him that he didn't finish 25th, but it's called racing." While DiBenedetto hasn't quite expressed his view of the matter yet, he alluded to the incident on Twitter following Sunday's race in which he had a first-time sponsor on his car. Still, the fact that the run-in transpired at all caught Almirola off guard. "I was baffled," he continued. "I was blown away after the race when he came and ran into the side of me and just spun me out. I couldn't wrap my head around what he was so upset about, but apparently ... I understand. When you're back there and you're fighting to stay on the lead lap week in and week out, racing like that, 25th is a big deal. "But I was racing." UPDATE: Matt DiBenedetto has perhaps (jokingly) poured more fuel on the fire, replying to a NASCAR on NBC tweet referencing the feud with a well-placed GIF from Happy Gilmore. https://twitter.com/mattdracing/status/1024355699965485058