An in-depth look at the best rivalry of the 2012 Sprint Cup Season Credits: NARLtv Speed azeveedo00001 nascar.com Greg Engle teresa1lap LP2008 MagnumJoe850 imjustTheGOAT
Clint Bowyer is an idiot and not a smart racecar Driver. He should've just punted Jeff in the wall again, get him out of the way instead of way below the apron and get loose and slide into and get collected with Jeff.
James Faulkner my thoughts exactly. The crew could tell that Gordon had a reason to be "looking for" Bowyer. Plus, them saying "I know he's a moron for it, but you need to be on your toes when get to him" reminds me of situations like when say your girlfriend is pissed at someone and you respond "I know! Can you believe the nerve they have? You should probably just not talk to them" because you know they have a right to be pissed too and it will just erupt. They knew he had a reason to be upset, yet they still jumped him in the pits. I'd call that "chickenshit." However, while I do respect Gordon and side with him on this situation, I don't ever approve of spinning someone into the wall. That's reckless and he let his temper get the best of him there. (I probably would have done something just as stupid in his situation.)
No it doesn't, it just proves that they can put 2+2 together and get 4. It doesn't take an admittance of guilt to know that Gordon was mad and looking to wreck Bowyer.
No it proves gordon over reacts when he tries to throw blocks and gets wrecked in the process. Or the fact gordons spotter is shit. Aside from the first martinsvile wreck (which was bowyers fault), everything else was gordons because he tries to close the door when the car was already there. Look at Charlotte 2014, gets mad at brad because he tried to close the door and got wrecked. Gordon can't handle his emotions and that's all there is too it.
The way I see it, the Phoenix incident sparked the beginning of the end for MWR. They would only win one more race (Truex at Sonoma 2013) after that and certainly spingate at Richmond pushed them over the cliff. Spingate cost them sponsors and it also cost Truex his ride. They were never the same team after that.
The way I feel about it is that Homestead determined who was truly right and wrong through karma. Some will say Jeff didn't deserve to be there but if you look at the evidence Clint was driving quite wrecklessly. Jeff Gordon winning at Homestead in my mind was justice served.
look at matt kenisth he basically did the same thing gorden did at phx and was parked for two weeks gorden should have been done for the season for that
Round 3 was a perfect example that even the best drivers can have the worst of meltdowns. People shouldn't diss on him like that after 20 years of respectable racing. And after 2013, I bet a lot of people felt like assholes who ripped on Jeff Gordon because of Clint Bowyer.
I didn't mind Jeff doing it, but at least own up to it after the fact. If you're sorry that's okay, but don't act like you didn't mean to hook him. I don't know how many times Stewart said something along the lines of "yep I wrecked him". I may not have always agreed why Tony did it, I may have even thought it was hypocritical of him but at least he would admit he did it. I lost more respect for Jeff handling the aftermath like he did then the actual incident.
I remember that season. Yes these are both examples of the feud. But at Dover and Kansas, Clint was leaning on him and was moving Gordon out of the way prior to Martinsville. All year long they couldn’t get out of each others way. Gordon had enough.
"He's stoppin now he's stoppin". " He's...... TURNING CLINT BOWER INTO THE WALL." I lost it there for some reason,it was just so perfectly timed it was funny.
I like that Gordon and Clint have now let all of this behind them, it seems like they are good friends now, this happens, is Nascar, alot of pressure and a little bit of hate and BOOM
To this day that slap on the hand for Gordon is one of the worst inconsistencies in Nascar history. Matt Kenseth literally did the same thing in 2015 and got suspended 2 races while all Jeff got here was fined...
RockyTopTN11 this was a great video. I will see this through my Jeff Gordon fan glasses. Jeff Gordon admits he was wrong. Yes there were extenuating circumstances, but he admits he was wrong, and he should not have wrecked Bowyer no matter how many times he thinks Bowyer wrecked him during the season. Bowyer got him back this year though, Gordon was cruising to an easy victory at Fontana when Bowyer spun himself out. All the other drivers with blown tires near the end were able to drive to the apron and keep the field under the green flag, but not Bowyer. Gordon finished 13th. Mission accomplished Clint.
Reason being like you said, Kyle was a repeat offender. Jeff typically doesn't blow his head off like that. Whether or not a driver is punished is typically decided by the severity of the incident while the punishment itself is usually decided based on history and in this case the emotion.
Not denying that either, for sure... but the Carl vs. Brad incident came right after "Boys Have At It" became a thing, so their hands were tied. It's still a mindset that the drivers have, so when it all boils down to it, it's NASCAR's call. They started with encouraging drivers to let it all hang out, and this is what we get; guys wrecking cars, entire crews fighting one guy in the garage area. It's also entertaining as all hell. :)
+Dillon Murway Nah.. He got wrecked and had the best car. Brad races like it's bumper cars. "Sorry you were in my way, I had a run!" If you watch JJ and Gordon on-board cams, they check up all the time to avoid collisions or idiotic 3 wide attempts. I've also noticed that Brad makes other guys nervous, when they try to pass him they often have to check up, cuz he is all over the fucking place in the corners.
I like the nascar on fox The real story of Jeff Gordon and Clint Boyer. Lots of whiskey and fuzzy recalections on how all that came about. Its great must see
He's tried to patch things up but Bowyer can't seem to let it go. Jeff apologized to Clint during Champion's Week but Bowyer still wouldn't talk to him.
NASCAR was being consistent for the first time in a while in not suspending Gordon. If they don't suspend Carl in 2010 for putting Kez on his lid, then a driver "having at it" once again shouldn't warrant a suspension (again). What I did find hilarious about Phoenix was how MWR's entire team pulled a Michael Waltrip, circa Michigan in '95. "Our fearless leader did this once, so let's all get together and go punch a driver."
I think it's stupid how Bowyer can take Gordon out or do something dumb to cost him spots, but if Gordon does something to him, it's a huge deal. Bowyer has gotten away with things like this many times. I'm glad Jeff did what he did.
Martinsville: Not Bowyer's fault once you see that Newman gave him a push into the corner. Fall Martinsville: Gordon trying to block him, get hits by Bowyer then try's to intentionally wreck Bowyer. Phoenix: Bowyer completely wrecked his race, tried to say it was accidental then what Gordon did was completly stupid. But Gordon is a better race car driver as proven at Homestead. But Bowyer keeps his temper under cool better then Gordon.
Regarding the first martinsville incident Bowyer was gonna go down the and that without the assist of Newman because he was under Jeff before he got bumped. The next martinsville issue was Jeff turning down to get back in line which he did until Clint turned down further and ran back under him. At Phoenix did people really not expect Jeff to react to that. Clint drove off the turn and tried to punt Gordon off the track (probably to get a caution to try to gain more position on the restart for championship picture) and Gordon would have turned Clint into three the first time but he probably had the left rear going down from Bowyer's splitter hitting his tire..
There's a difference between rubbing and running over someone. The other two were just racing incidents, but that move at Martinsville was the most bone-headed I've ever seen. I'd be pissed to if someone did that, then kept racing me rough the rest of the year.
As much as Gordon was for me the greatest (at least for my generation) and i will be forever a fan of the 24 Chevy, today, if Bowyer has a good chance of winning, i dont care i'm rooting for him, just a driver that can take not the best equipament and put it on the 1st place
I am still amazed every time i see old Ricky. How he was on his deathbed and couldn't go to prison for even a day, but has been fine ever since for the last 25 years.
Also, if Bowyer had a top 5 this race ahead of BK, and his 2nd at Homestead, he would've been really close to Keselowski. I think a few points shy, but within 10.
I remember watching the Race live and was disappointed to see Gordon wrecked. Then was shocked that he waited for Clint to get his Revenge. Once I saw the history, Boyer had it coming. Didn't think the Pit Crew would take it personally, but once I saw Boyer's hopes to win the Championship were ruined. I knew Jeff Gordon did the right thing of costing him a Championship
The one comment somebody said that really made a difference in deciding who is at fault was somebody said if you racing for a championship you still have to treat others fairly. Racing for a championship does not make it right to be able to race people too hard.
Rick Hendrick trying to justify Gordon's reaction bc they were going for Hendricks 200th win at Martinsville. I was like ate u serious dude they didn't get the teams 200th win so let's spin the guy out and wreck his championship hopes
Jeff Gordon began his racing career when everybody watched NASCAR, you didn't see people making a big deal of retaliation then, so why do it now. These guys race their hearts out and their emotions get to them. It used to be drivers shake hands and become friends again but the media plays with everyone's heads.
I understand that they're mad at each other and of course understand why Gordon is furious but for his sake, he better patch things up cuz this whole deal could really come back to haunt him in the future, especially if he has a chance to win the title.
Kyle was in trouble with NASCAR the whole year for numerous incidents, that's why they parked him. BUT I won't lie, I am kind of surprised they didn't park Gordon for a race.
Clint has it coming! It’s one thing to make fun another person but if you’re keep poking and poking the snake, it will bite you back! That’s Clint Boyer’s problem! I knew Jeff was mad and disappointed especially Martinville racing crash! But you know when to stopped poking someone!!
OddDude21 he went into his post-race press conference and started cussing like a sailor when they asked him about the incident with Gordon and bowyer...
Yeah and if he went to the outside Jeff probably would have just put him in the wall lol. The only good thing that could have come from that would have been Joey and Aric might have missed the wreck
5 times? I count three the first time the 39 drove into the back of the 15, the 2nd time Jeff came down on Clint, and the 3rd time Jeff did more damage to himself trying to retailate. Besides taking out the 20 and 43 as well as losing the race for the 18 with that late race caution was bullshit.
A lot of drivers weren't afraid to stand up to Dale Sr. back then. I don't think many other drivers today would have. Gordon raced with Dale for a while. Probably more than any other known driver out there. Stewart raced back then, but he was still kind of a newbie. I don't think guys like Stewart, Hamlin, Harvick, Keselowski, Bowyer, Busch brothers, etc would have taken shit from Sr. either. Unfortunately we will never know. R.I.P. Sr.
Bowyer is an excuse maker, Newman backed off, Bowyer didn't try to slow down he just drove down in there and tried to make it work. He got what he deserved at Phoenix.