If you know anything about legendary NASCAR drivers, whether they're from the sport's modern era or when things were just getting started back in the '50s, it's that most of them partied just as hard as they raced. So, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomed Clint Bowyer on The Dale Jr. Download podcast back in 2019, they, of course, chopped it up about racing a little bit. But, like most conversations with Dale Jr. go, the interview later devolved into some of their most crazy, off-the-track shenanigans.
One of the hilarious stories Clint brought up was the time he pranked four-time Cup Series champ, Jeff Gordon during an impromptu yacht party. Given the history between the two, it's a good thing they were able to blow off some steam, even if it came at Gordon's expense.
Now, to get the full picture of this story, we have to head back to 2012, when things were definitely not okay between Bowyer and Gordon. After Bowyer wrecked Gordon at the April race at Martinsville Speedway, Gordon decided to wait until the title race at Phoenix to take his revenge. He sent Bowyer into the wall that day, wrecking him and essentially dashing his title hopes. But, it was the fight between Bowyer's and Gordon's teams, considered one of the wildest post-race dust-ups of all time, that really made headlines. Needless to say, these two weren't on the best of terms for some time.
Fast forward a little while after that incident, when Bowyer was partying with Kevin Harvick and famous food personality Guy Fieri during the off-season. The trio stumbled upon a yacht party, and when a member of the vessel recognized Fieri, they were promptly invited onboard. Shortly after boarding, Bowyer spotted Jeff Gordon in attendance. Of course, Bowyer and his crew had already had a few drinks at this point, so he decided to play a little prank on his recent rival. Clint went over to Gordon, put him in a light headlock, and started to pretend-punch him in the head. Even though he was just joking around, Gordon was definitely freaked out for a second there. However, it didn't take long for Bowyer to explain that everything was all water under the bridge. They were all there just to have a good time.
If there are two takeaways from Clint's story, it's this: 1) NASCAR drivers love a good excuse to party, and 2) they sure do seem to have a short attention span when it comes to on-the-track drama.
