Phoenix Raceway produced one of NASCAR’s memorable – Sports News
Phoenix Raceway has hosted numerous dramatic NASCAR moments, however few evaluate to the explosive confrontation between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer in 2012.
Fourteen years later, the incident stays one of essentially the most notorious fights in fashionable NASCAR historical past.
The conflict passed off during the penultimate race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix. With the championship battle nonetheless unfolding, Bowyer entered the race third within the standings and nonetheless had an outdoors shot on the title. Gordon, a four-time champion who just lately introduced his return to racing at 54 years previous, was racing close to the entrance however was no longer within the championship hunt.
The pressure between the 2 drivers had been building for months. Earlier within the season, the pair had tangled at Martinsville Speedway, creating a rivalry that simmered all year long. By the time the sphere arrived in Phoenix, the frustration had already been brewing between their groups.
Late within the race, the battle lastly erupted. With simply a handful of laps remaining, Bowyer and Gordon have been battling for place when contact between the 2 automobiles despatched Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet into the wall. The injury left Gordon livid as his race unraveled within the closing moments.
Shortly afterward, Gordon made a resolution that will outline the race, and change into one of essentially the most replayed moments in NASCAR historical past.
As Bowyer got here across the observe again, Gordon become Bowyer’s No. 15 car in Turn 3, spinning him into the wall and gathering different drivers, together with Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. The crash introduced out the warning and successfully ended Bowyer’s championship hopes.
The chaos didn’t stop when the automobiles rolled to a halt. In the storage space, tempers boiled over between crew members from each groups. A confrontation shortly escalated into a bodily scuffle, with a number of crew members concerned earlier than officers stepped in to separate the teams.
Meanwhile, Bowyer wasn’t completed. After climbing from his broken car on pit street, Bowyer noticed the struggle unfolding close to Gordon’s hauler and instantly sprinted via the storage in an attempt to confront his rival. Television cameras captured Bowyer working towards Gordon’s trailer earlier than NASCAR officers intercepted him simply steps away.
The race itself was ultimately received by Kevin Harvick following the late warning, however the on-track motion shortly turned secondary to the dramatic aftermath.
NASCAR responded swiftly after reviewing the incident. Gordon was fined $100,000, docked 25 championship factors, and positioned on probation for deliberately wrecking Bowyer. His crew chief, Alan Gustafson, was additionally fined for failing to control the staff during the altercation.
Despite the controversy, the rivalry ultimately cooled. In an ironic twist, Gordon went on to win the season finale the next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Bowyer ending second within the race and ending the season because the runner-up within the championship standings.
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