on Lap 310 of the AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, there was an incident on track between #24-Jeff Gordon and #15-Clint Bowyer, and then their crews in the pits, a few comments from each driver:
first #24-Jeff Gordon: Gordon: ‘Things have gotten escalated over the year and I have just had it. Clint (Bowyer) has run into me numerous times, wrecked me and he got into me on the back straightaway, pretty much ruined our day. I have had it, was fed up with it and got him back.’
Q) IN THE MELEE IN THE GARAGE DID YOU GET HIT?
Gordon: ‘No.’
Q) ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ANY PENALTIES?
Gordon: ‘They ‘ve got to do what they ‘ve got to do. Just like I had to do what I had to do.’
Q) ON INCIDENT:
Gordon: ‘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.’
Q) WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM IN THE NASCAR HAULER?
Gordon: ‘I told them what I just told you.’
Q) ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT?
‘They ‘ve got to do what they ‘ve got to do, and I guess I had to do what I had to do.’(Team Chevy)
next #15-Clint Bowyer:
Q) What happened between you and Jeff Gordon?
Bowyer: ‘I mean the racing ‘ it’s just a shame. The last person in the world you want to get into anything with is Jeff Gordon on the race track. 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. 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. It’s pretty embarrassing for a four-time champion ‘ and what I consider one of the best this sport’s ever seen ‘ to act like that is just completely ridiculous.’
Q) What did NASCAR say when you met them after the race?
Bowyer: ‘I don ‘t know. There’s nothing you can do to fix it now. It’s over with. You ‘ve got to go on to Homestead (-Miami Speedway). I ‘ve got to try to beat the 5 car (Kasey Kahne), but I mean that was my opportunity to try to get myself back in the championship hunt. When you ‘re disrupting a championship run like that, it’s too bad. They asked us not to do that in the driver’s meeting and there’s usually a lot of respect there. Like I said, it’s crazy ‘ I didn ‘t even need to pass him. I was plenty content riding behind him and he slipped up down there, I get under him and here he comes back. I just barely touched him. I literally barely rubbed him and then all the sudden I feel him trying to retaliate and ‘ I don ‘t know ‘ missed or something and hit the wall and made himself look like a fool.’
Q) Will you retaliate?
Bowyer: ‘We just have to see.’
Q) Did Jeff Gordon say anything to you in the meeting with NASCAR after the race?
Bowyer: ‘Not really ‘ it’s pretty soon to be talking to him (Jeff Gordon).’
Q) Should NASCAR penalize Jeff Gordon?
Bowyer: ‘You guys have been covering this sport a long time. Same circumstances happened ‘ what was it, last year or year before and disrupted a championship and I don ‘t understand how that’s any different. Like I said, it’s over with and done and have to go to Homestead (-Miami Speedway) and do the best we can.’(Toyota Racing)(11-12-2012)
