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Kevin Harvick’s Partner Discloses ‘Legend of Jeff Gordon’ That Drew Him to Fox

Published 04/05/2024, 4:16 PM EDT

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Before joining the broadcast booth at FOX, Clint Bowyer had a pretty successful NASCAR career. With over 10 wins in 500-plus races, the former Stewart Haas Racing driver even came close to winning his maiden championship back in 2012. However, Jeff Gordon, driving the #24 car, bumped straight into Bowyer’s ride, thus crushing his hopes of winning the title in Phoenix.

This led to one of the most famous sprints by Clint Bowyer, in which he tried to confront Gordon. In the aftermath of the incident, it was believed that both drivers were often at odds with each other, but going by Bowyer’s recent comments, that was not the case. In fact, he revealed that Jeff Gordon’s presence in the FOX booth was one of the major reasons for him to embark on his new professional journey.

Clint Bowyer reveals his relationship with Jeff Gordan despite their battle on the racetrack

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After running his final Cup Series season with Stewart Haas Racing in 2020, Bowyer switched to his new broadcaster role. At the time, Jeff Gordon had already been working alongside the legendary Mike Joy in the booth since 2015. This raised some concerns regarding Clint’s addition to the lineup, given the history both drivers once shared. However, in a recent interview, Bowyer explained how fans couldn’t witness a different side to their relationship.

People only saw the run-ins on the racetrack. Jeff and I have always enjoyed one another’s time away from the track. We always kind of flock to one another… I signed on for that very reason to join alongside Mike Joy the legend, and Jeff Gordon. I mean, I got to attach my name to that team roster, and it meant a lot to me that I was able to start my broadcasting career with the likes of everybody’s heroes,” Bowyer said.

He also shared that he was not going to let slip an opportunity to pair alongside the icons of NASCAR. “You go back for so many years since I’ve been watching NASCAR, and every huge moment in NASCAR, you look over your shoulders. Jeff Gordon was a part of it. So yeah, absolutely in every situation you could look I was all in on joining that team.”

Interestingly, the void left by Gordan’s departure was filled by his long-time friend and Cup Series champion, Kevin Harvick.

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Clint Bowyer explains the chemistry between him and Harvick in the FOX booth

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Both Harvick and Bowyer were paired as teammates twice in their Cup careers. They started working together at Richard Childress Racing from 2005 to 2011, before they both went their different routes. But as fate may have it, Bowyer eventually landed at Stewart Haas Racing, replacing Tony Stewart, and Harvick was reunited with his old pal, as he had already joined the team back in 2014. After hanging up his boots from racing in NASCAR, Bowyer switched to a broadcasting role. And guess what? Harvick was back again with his friend after his retirement as a broadcaster in the FOX booth.

Sharing his equation with Harvick, Clint Bowyer added, “We can’t get away from one another. I’m sure I’m a big a pain in his butt as he is mine. But we know one another, we trust one another, we have each other’s back, and when he have that bond much like I had with Jeff, you can rub on one another and know you’re not going to hurt the feelings and know it’s coming from the right place. My energy is not his energy, and again, strengths and weaknesses, he is much more polished than I am. I have the energy, he probably doesn’t, and that’s why it works. It’s literally I’m everything he’s not, and vice versa.”

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Written by:

Chintan Devgania

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Chintan Mahesh Devgania is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As someone who likes to dive deep into the sport, he often takes up less explored topics to eventually see them make their way into top stories. His report on Toyota’s young recruit, Jade Avedisian, sharing her thoughts on Late Model Racing, was an example of that.
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Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh