Ahead of the Shriners Children’s 500 at the Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR fans were reminded of a memorable moment from the past. No, not of some spectacular skills on the track, or a pulsating finish. The ‘exciting’ bits of the action actually took place off it in the pit area, but was caught on camera.
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The incident happened more than a decade ago, back in 2012 in fact. But social media never sleeps and never forgets. So when clips of the melee involving Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer resurfaced recently, it caused a sensation.
The clip has been grabbing the attention of both old and new fans, who were quick to share their thoughts regarding the after-effects of having such an altercation in today’s day and age.
X handle @NASCARONFOX stirred the nostalgia by posting a video on their page, showcasing the infamous on-track clash that also dragged in Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. It started with an on-track collision and ended with a free-for-all scuffle off it.
It all went down in the second-to-last race of the 2012 NASCAR Cup season. The confrontation began as Bowyer and Gordon vied for the P5 position. Their cars clashed, with the right front of Bowyer’s car making contact with the left rear of Gordon’s on the backstretch.
The tension escalated by Turn 3, where Gordon tried to retaliate against Bowyer but lost control and crashed into the outside wall. Despite consequential damage and being black-flagged by NASCAR to pit, Gordon ignored the directive and instead limped around the track, biding his time until Bowyer caught up. With just two laps remaining, Gordon executed his revenge, intentionally crashing Bowyer into the Turn 4 wall.
But the chaos didn’t end there. As Gordon’s car reached the garage, he was confronted by Bowyer’s pit crew, which led to a fight near his hauler. Meanwhile, Bowyer also sprinted from his wrecked vehicle on the pit road in a failed attempt to mix it up with Gordon, who was already secured in his hauler.
Discussing the more than a decade-old incident, one fan suggested that viewers would love some extra off-track action of the physical kind: “Honestly there should be more post-race fights. It would be a huge ratings boost.”
But others weren’t too thrilled with highlighting such events. Another remarked, “Ahhh yes. Couldn’t be NASCAR using crashes and fights to promote the sport instead of actual on-track racing,” critiquing the emphasis on sensationalism over sport.
Another fan expressed concern over NASCAR’s promotional strategies by pointing out, “Probably not a good sign for your track’s on-track product when this is one of the highlights,” lamenting the focus on historic brawls rather than current competition.
It’s that time of year … Phoenix!
Clint Bowyer vs. Jeff Gordon in 2012. pic.twitter.com/G3texLUkif
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 7, 2025
Of course, there were some who weren’t too happy with today’s more disciplined and controlled racing and would be happier with a return to more rugged and confrontational racing. A fan lamented, “Bring back those days. Not today’s soft ass drivers. We want the retaliation wrecks and fights.”
Wonder how both drivers involved in that infamous incident then view it today.
