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It felt like a really long NASCAR season but it must have been a longer one for Jeff Gordon. Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer were racing hard In the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. With about 7 laps to go in the race they get together. Jeff has a tire go down and gets into the wall ruining his race.
“I mean, you’re down there racing, the track’s extremely slick, we’re all on tires — I didn’t even need to pass him. That’s the thing.” Clint said “All I was doing is riding around biding my time. The only thing I had to do is keep the 5 car (Kasey Kahne) within reach, so for him to act like that — I mean, I barely touched him and then I feel him get into turn three and try to turn me and he missed and then next thing I know Brett’s (Griffin, spotter) telling me on the radio that he’s trying to — he’s waiting on me.”
Jeff Gordon was unapologetic. “Clint (Bowyer) has run into me numerous times, wrecked me. He got into me on the back straightaway, and pretty much ruined our day. I had it. That was it, and got him back.”
Jeff went on to explain this has been brewing the entire season. “Things just got escalated over the year, and I’d just had it. Clint has run into me numerous times, wrecked me, and he got into me on the back straightaway and pretty much ruined our day. I’ve had it, fed up with it and I got him back.”
Jeff’s crew chief Alan Gustafson explained it a little more clearly. “Well I mean it’s about the fifth time that he (Clint Bowyer) has run us over. After a while you get really frustrated. We all work really hard on these cars and Jeff (Gordon) races everybody with a lot of respect. Evidently he had enough. If you are going to play that way, if you are going to race that way then you shouldn’t be upset when you get it back.”
When Jeff got back to pit road a fight ensued between the two teams. It was unclear which team started the melee. Clint Bowyer ran from his car to join in the battle. Both Jeff and Clint were called to the NASCAR Hauler to meet with the officials there. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition addressed the media.
Robin said, “Yeah, you know, we’re up there meeting with the drivers right now, and there’s a lot of tension out there when you’re running for the points and the championship, and things like that happen. We’ll continue to talk to the drivers and get them to work it out. That was surely a shame.”
NASCAR generally hands out penalties after a race on Tuesday and sometimes Wednesday depending on the circumstances. Robin Pemberton reiterated that if there were penalties, that is when they would be assessed. Besides reviewing the circumstances of the event, NASCAR will be looking how Jeff affected Clint’s contention for the Championship. Drivers who are not contending are told every week not to affect the outcome of the championship. We will all be waiting to see what will happen.
Brian Berg Jr. is the Lead NASCAR writer for www.RantSports.com.
Follow him on Twitter @brian_jr1 during the race and throughout the week for more NASCAR news and commentary. On Facebook at NASCAR News and Commentary. On Pinterest at NASCARNews .
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