Clint Bowyer shares his view on Jeff Gordon’s final full-time season
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clint Bowyer said after hearing the stunning news of Jeff Gordon‘s decision to bring his full-time NASCAR career to a close, he texted his rival to wish him well. But even more than two years removed from their infamous run-in at Phoenix International Raceway, Bowyer admits that he has a tenuous relationship with the four-time champion.
One of the most controversial confrontations from the 2012 season still has lingering repercussions, Bowyer said Tuesday during Michael Waltrip Racing‘s portion of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. After an escalating series of incidents, their rivalry boiled over that November day in the desert with Gordon exacting revenge on Bowyer with an intentional late-race crash that thrashed both drivers’ cars.
Bowyer exited his car and ran at a full sprint to square off with Gordon, but crews from both teams interceded before getting into their own scrap in the Sprint Cup garage.
Time has the power to heal long-suffering grievances, but Bowyer said that restoring their relationship 100 percent might be an insurmountable hurdle.
“You’re never good with somebody when it got that ugly,” Bowyer said. “We had a lot of fun together. Jeff and I hit it off right off the bat and probably away from the track at the banquets and things like that. We really enjoyed one another and even the offseason on a couple of boating trips. It’s kind of like a divorce. You may appreciate them from time to time but at the end of the day you don’t like them anymore.”
Whether the fences will ever be fully mended, Bowyer hasn’t lost his sense of humor over the situation. Gordon enters his last full season of competition with four championships, multiple Daytona 500 victories and 92 total wins at NASCAR’s highest level — an impressive portfolio by any standard, but not off-limits for a playful jab from Bowyer.
“He’s got one last opportunity to try to make a name for Jeff Gordon,” Bowyer quipped.
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