It was a sunny day in Phoenix back in November of 2012, the scene was set, the penultimate race of the season, the AdvoCare 500 at the Phoenix Raceway, 3 drivers fighting for the Cup Series Championship, with Jimmie Johnson leading the championship fight, followed by Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer in 3rd. But the race is well known for the brawl that erupted after Jeff Gordon lost his cool and snatched a potential championship glory from Bowyer’s hands.

On lap 310 of the race, just 9 laps away from the finish, Bowyer and Gordon made contact with each other, leading to Gordon being in the wall. NASCAR decided to penalize Gordon by deciding to park him for putting himself in the wall trying to retaliate for the contact with Bowyer. Enraged on learning of this penalty, the 4-time NASCAR champion lost his cool and decided to settle the matter on the track itself. What happened next led to a course of events that are etched into the history of NASCAR and still talked about to this day.

The Gordon-Bowyer Showdown: Brawl in the Desert

“Where is he [Bowyer], I’m getting his a—,” said Hendrick Motorsport’s Jeff Gordon as he slowed down and waited for Bowyer to come around on lap 311. This was Gordon’s response after being clipped by Bowyer’s No. 15 car. In an attempt to get even with his rival, the HMS star attempted to turn Bowyer’s car and in doing so got loose and slid into the outside wall. There was significant damage to the iconic Dupont car and this is where NASCAR black-flagged him. 

But, Gordon had only one thing on his mind – get even with Bowyer, “F——g 15. I’ll f— his a— up.” With two laps to go, he wasted no time in retaliating. The HMS star hooked Bowyer into the wall at Turn 4 collecting both Joe Gibbs Racing’s Joey Logano and Richard Petty’s Aric Almirola in the crash. But, that wasn’t it, as Gordon exited from his car in the garage, the No. 15 pit crew confronted him, accusing him of ruining Bowyer’s championship chances, and then it happened, a huge fight broke out between Bowyer’s and Gordon’s pit crews.

“Hey! Where is that son of a b——. I’m going to f—— k— him,” Bowyer was not happy with his championship hopes melting away, and started running towards Gordon’s pit box after the race, looking to confront him for his actions on the race track. He made a dash across the race track to reach the No. 24 team hauler and before he could get his hands on Gordon, the official restrained him. NASCAR fined Jeff Gordon an amount of $100,000 along with 25 driver’s points and probation until December 31.

“Clint’s run into me numerous times during this year and I just had enough and got him back,” said Jeff Gordon, when asked about the incident, referring to the incident between the two, in Martinsville earlier in the season. NASCAR dropped the hammer on Gordon as he was fined $100,000 and 25 driver points. This was followed by a probation for the rest of the year for intentionally wrecking Bowyer.

NASCAR also penalized Bowyer’s crew chief Brian Pattie $25,000 along with probation for December. Gordon’s crew chief Alan Gustafson received a similar treatment, whereas team owner Rick Hendrick was docked 25 owner points.

Gordon and Bowyer are not the first drivers to have such similar moments of intense rivalry and emotions on the track and will not be the last either. Racing is an intense sport where emotions run hot and adrenaline runs high in everyone. But what happens after the checkered flag falls and helmets come off?

Trending

1

NASCAR Star Drops Life-Changing Announcement as Racing Community Melts Over Welcome Surprise

2

3x Daytona 500 Champ Left in Tears Accompanying Tony Stewart’s Rival Into the Motorsport Hall of Fame

3

Richard Petty’s Son Betrays the King’s NASCAR Legacy With Humble Dale Earnhardt Claim

4

Kyle Larson Uncovers Welcome $18 Million Surprise Amidst NASCAR’s Michael Jordan Lawsuit Tussle

5

When Jeff Gordon Became Enemy of the People After Paying the Greatest Dale Earnhardt Tribute

The Unlikely Friendship

The story of Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer gives us insight into the minds of racing drivers and their transformations off the track. They’ve let go of their rivalry and turned it into a successful partnership broadcasting on FOX.

Bowyer joined FOX as a broadcaster in 2021, where Gordon was already there as a broadcaster. Their transition from rivals to friends is a proof of the evolving nature of NASCAR relationships. Their friendship is evident in their banter on-air, where they often joke about their rivalry and the Phoenix 2012 incident.

“There’s your side, and there’s my side, and then my side’s right, then there’s the truth…Your side is literally out of your mind,” Bowyer said in one such banter between the pair regarding their ‘incident’. The pair have gone from ready-to-trade punches to trading playful jabs. This is proof that at the end of the day, in the world of racing anything is possible.