Clint Bowyer annoyed with Erik Jones after last-lap jostle

Clint Bowyer was displeased with Erik Jones for obstructing him on the final lap of the Digital Ally 400 at the Kansas Speedway.

The 39-year old from Emporia, Kansas closed on the second and third place cars of Alex Bowman and Erik Jones coming to the white flag. Jones threw a block to defend the position which cost dropped him to fifth place at the checkered flag as he lost momentum behind Bowman, Jones and Chase Elliott.

“The kid put me in a situation where I was going to have to wreck him in front of the field or lift,” he said. “You don’t want to wreck people like that. We’re going 180, 190 mile an hour around here – you turn a guy right into the fence in front of everybody – you can hurt somebody.”

Bowyer started the 267-lap scheduled race second and led 12 laps early and was in the thick of the fight throughout the entire race before a late yellow flag set up an overtime finish.

Bowyer pitted for two tires with a handful of others which propelled him through the field and into the lead group and coming to the white flag. He dove below Jones’ No. 20 Dewalt Toyota Camry, but Jones blocked both lanes and Bowyer lost momentum.

Bowyer showed his displeasure by bumping Jones on the cool off lap before going to his car after the race.

“They slipped up off of four, and I had a huge run on them,” said the driver of the No. 14 Rush Travel Centers Ford Mustang. “I was going to pass him and the 88, and he just turned right like I wasn’t there.”

Jones reiterated that he was protecting his spot.

“We’re racing hard,” he said. “This package really kind of leads into a lot of blocking and a lot of protecting your position, and we’re taking the white flag. I’m not going to give up a lane to give up two, three, four spots if he would have got the inside.

“I’d be mad if I was him, but it’s just racing. I’ve been blocked a lot, especially with this package, and I haven’t done a lot of blocking, so you have to get aggressive and fight for every position. That’s all I was doing at the end of the race. We were taking the white flag, and you’re going for it.”