If it weren’t for bad luck, it seems driver Clint Bowyer would have no luck at all, at least when it comes to iRacing.
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has not only been racing in NASCAR’s Pro Invitational Series, he’s been a part of the NASCAR on Fox broadcasting team. Bowyer has been providing in-race commentary for the telecast while racing in a sim rig in the same building. The virtual racing is filling the gap while no real NASCAR action on a real track thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic,
The always colorful Bowyer can usually be counted on for his humorous take on what’s going on around him. Two weeks ago, after crashing several times during the virtual Bristol race, he muttered, “My give-a-damn broke.” And later during the same race, after tangling with Bubba Wallace and ending up in the wall, Bowyer said “I got Bubba’d” when asked what happened.
Sunday’s troubles started even before the race started at virtual Richmond Raceway. After a short qualifying session, the starting grid showed Bowyer lined up at the rear of the field. Only in the virtual racing world could what happen to Bowyer actually happen.
“I had to go to the bathroom, and I missed qualifying,” Bowyer said. “The bathroom is a long ways away from here at the (Fox) studio. It was probably best I started in the back anyway.”
When you miss qualifying because you had to use the bathroom. 😂 @ClintBowyer | #ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/woeqMbdHog
Bowyer didn’t fare better in the race.
“I think (on lap 30) I got Bubba’d,” he said, referring to contact with Wallace. “That’s two races in a row. The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
After being forced to sit in the pits undergoing a lengthy virtual repair process, Bowyer came back on track, and his engine immediately failed.
“It looks like we lost the motor,” Bowyer said. “She expired. I think it was down there in (turns) three and four. Dead in the water. It wasn’t a Roush Yates engine because it wouldn’t have done that. It was the computer.”
He may be done for the day, but he’s still giving us TV GOLD.@ClintBowyer | @JeffGordonWeb pic.twitter.com/2Ja6YszNoo
Once parked, his race over, Bowyer sprinted across the building and into the same room that Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon were broadcasting from, all separated according to social distancing rules. Bowyer called the race with the pair until the end.
“I may have enjoyed (the broadcast booth) more than I did running around the back of this thing,” Bowyer quipped.
After the race, in a clearing of the air, so to speak, Wallace tweeted a pic of a text exchange from Bowyer that said, “Actually it wasn’t his fault. It was a glitch or something.”
Just to clear the air…#NotBubba’d pic.twitter.com/CkYuhUFcRe
Thus concludes this story that started two weeks ago, when Bowyer and Wallace really did run into each other on track at Bristol, the end result being Wallace “rage quitting” the race and losing his sponsor, Blu-Emu.
On Sunday, Wallace completed every lap and finished ninth.
Hey @jeff_gluck @bobpockrass @KellyCrandall @NASCARONFOX @dustinlong
You guys would be remissed if you didn’t mention I was the last car off the racetrack. Even gave that enormous crowd a Polish victory lap! #neverquit
Yes!!!!!! https://t.co/9csOen513A
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