“I’ve had it”: When Jeff Gordon explained his side in instantly iconic Clint Bowyer brawl at Phoenix

After the iconic altercation between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer at the 2012 Phoenix Raceway race, the former explained his side of the story. The altercation is seen as an example of how tempers run high when drivers are competing at the highest level of motorsports.

The AdvoCare 500 in 2012 at the Phoenix Raceway became infamous for the feud between Gordon and Bowyer, an incident brought about by the retaliatory action by the former and his #24. Gordon was growing increasingly frustrated by the on-track clashes with Bowyer throughout the season, and intentionally wrecked Bowyer, also resulting in him taking out the young Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. Kevin Harvick won the race in a green-white-checkered finish but the altercation turned ugly after both couldn’t finish their races.

In the garage, Bowyer’s crew confronted Gordon near his car hauler, leading to a physical altercation involving the entirety of both teams. Bowyer sprinted from his car towards the paddock to directly confront Gordon but was stopped in his tracks by the people nearby. NASCAR heavily penalized Gordon with a $100,000 fine and 25 driver points and placed him in probation for the rest of the season.

The video uploaded on YouTube by NARL TV succinctly showcased the altercation:

Jeff Gordon spoke on the event after meeting the NASCAR officials. He explained that he took this action in light of the rivalry reaching a boiling point over the season.

"It's just things have gotten escalated over the year, and I've just had it, Clint's 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 and was fed up with it and got him back," the four-time champion said (via USA Today).

Clint Bowyer explained his side of the incident, citing it to be a big dent in his championship hopes that season.

"For him to act like that, I barely touched him and then I feel him get into Turn 3 and try to turn me and he missed, next thing I know, (spotter) Brett (Griffin) is telling me on the radio that he's waiting on me," Bowyer said.

Gordon’s action that Sunday caused Bowyer to lose his already slim chances at the championship. Bowyer had entered the Phoenix Raceway race 29 points off the title contention but the 28th place finish diminished all his chances at the championship.

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Jeff Gordon's crew chief also spoke on the incident

Alan Gustafson is a veteran NASCAR crew chief currently working for Chase Elliott’s #9 with Hendrick Motorsports. Gustafson has worked with some of the biggest drivers in NASCAR drivers including Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Casey Mears, and in 2012 as Jeff Gordon’s crew chief. He spoke on the now iconic altercation (via USA Today):

"The crew thing is between [Jeff Gordon] and [Clint Bowyer] and not those team members, My instructions to the guys was just, 'Don't let anybody get to Jeff.' And that's what that's about. We're going to protect him and stand behind him at all costs. Those guys obviously have tempers running high as are ours, and that's what happens."

Jeff Gordon is one of NASCAR’s most iconic figures who achieved 93 wins (third in the all-time list) and four Cup Series Championships (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001). After retiring he transitioned to a vice-chairman role at Hendrick Motorsports.