As questions swirled around Clint Bowyer’s late-race spin at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night – an incident that altered the Chase for the Sprint Cup field with a caution – NASCAR said it did not believe Bowyer did anything intentional.
“Not at all,” Sprint Cup Series director John Darby told USA TODAY Sports. “Although we watch it – we make a point of mentioning it in the drivers’ meeting and everything – I don’t think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car.”
But social media was abuzz with people who believed otherwise, including Bowyer friend and country music singer Blake Shelton.
“Y’all should follow @ClintBowyer!!!” Shelton tweeted. “The definition of team player!!! #hero.”
Bowyer’s spin with seven laps remaining fell under scrutiny because it happened by himself – though Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the proximity – and ultimately helped Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. make the Chase.
“He just spun right out,” Earnhardt said afterward. “That’s the craziest thing I ever saw. … He was hemming around on the brakes and jerking the car around, and then the thing just spun out. It was crazy. I don’t know what was going on.”
Before the race, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton warned the drivers to “keep it fair and square.”
But when Bowyer spun, Ryan Newman was on his way to making the Chase instead of Truex. So too was Jeff Gordon instead of Joey Logano.
Circumstances after the spin caused both Gordon and Newman to miss the Chase. Logano and Truex ultimately made it – Truex on a tiebreaker with Newman.
Newman, who would have qualified with his second win of the season, lost the lead while pitting under caution and finished third.
“If we were a championship-contending team, we needed a championship-contending pit crew, and we didn’t have one tonight,” Newman said.
Audio replayed by ESPN after the race had spotter Brett Griffin telling Bowyer the circumstances of the race, followed by two odd comments from crew chief Brian Pattie:
“Is your arm starting to hurt?” Pattie said. “I bet it’s getting hot in there. Itch it.”
Bowyer then spun out.
“I think we had something going wrong,” Bowyer said after the race. “I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.
“I know it’s a lot of fun for you guys to write a lot of wacky things. Go ahead if you want to. Get creative. But don’t look too much into it.”
Neither Newman nor Gordon would speculate on the cause of the spin.
“I don’t have a TV inside my car,” Newman snapped, then said, “You think?” when asked if an intentional spin would upset him.
“I’m not speculating,” Gordon said with fire in his eyes. “Why should I comment on speculation? I don’t know the facts until Bowyer tells me he did that. Then we can discuss that.”
Team owner Michael Waltrip told USA TODAY Sports he was unaware of any funny business.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I didn’t hear any … I was busy monitoring who was doing what. I mean, I don’t think Bowyer spun on purpose. But I don’t know.”
Would it be OK with Waltrip if Bowyer’s spin was intentional?
“I don’t like to do what-ifs,” he said. “We’re just really grateful that we got two of our cars in the Chase. It would be a real bummer if our young organization only got one in and not the other.”
NASCAR.com reporter Alan Cavanna tweeted that Waltrip walked up to Truex on pit road and told the driver, “You’ve got awesome teammates.”
NASCAR, though, will likely not penalize Bowyer even if it comes to believe the spin was intentional.
“For one, you’d have to be doggone sure that’s what happened if you ever tried to react to it,” Darby said. “Each individual team has enough stake in making the Chase that I don’t think any of them are willing to risk that.
“… Spinning out or (Jimmie Johnson) hitting the wall to help (Gordon), all of that stuff is pretty far-fetched.”
In 2004, NASCAR said it would not penalize Earnhardt for an intentional spin at Bristol. But after the driver admitted it, NASCAR re-opened the issue and issued a 25-point penalty.
(USA Today)
Oh Man!! I think he might have! He probably did.