Admittedly, I’m not the biggest NASCAR fan in the world, but there is something fun about enjoying a Sunday race with a couple cold ones when your NFL team is on a bye.
Most of what I know about racing comes from getting drunk and playing NASCAR Thunder 2002 on PS2 with my roommates in college, and while I’d typically use my guy Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer was a popular choice among the guys for one reason or the other.
So when I saw this video pop up, I just knew it was going to be good.
The 2023 NASCAR season kicked off back in February with the annual Busch Clash, held the last two years at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the broadcast was handled by play-by-play announcer Mike Joy with help from former drivers Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer, but they featured a number of guests throughout the day, one of which was Gwen Stefani.
Gwen has obviously had quite the career for herself, being frontwoman of ’90s era rock band No Doubt before setting off on a solo career that gave us huge hits like “Rich Girl” and “Hollaback Girl,” songs that will forever remind me of my childhood.
She married country star Blake Shelton back in 2021 and it turns out that Blake and Clint are good friends whose relationship goes back many years. Naturally, Gwen was pretty comfortable being around him from all the time they’d spent together, but maybe a bit too comfortable, because she decided to launch into a story of the first time she ever met him, much to Clint’s discomfort.
“I’ve heard Clint do “Don’t Speak,” at a campfire… the first time I met him he was WASTED, right? And he was singing “Don’t Speak,” he was confessing that he was a fan.”
Clint was clearly less than happy and tried to get the conversation back on course.
“No… we’re still on the air Gwen, we’re on the air… this is a job for me, this is not play. I’ve worked for this.”
Obviously, he took his job seriously and didn’t want to get booted off the air because Gwen told a story he didn’t give her permission to tell.
She responded…
““No, it was a compliment to me to know that you actually listen to my music so thank you… ok, change the subject.”
Yikes, the tension was palpable. Clint’s known as a comedian but this was too far for him, and can you really blame him? Your buddy’s wife shows up and blasts you to pieces on national television?
I don’t think there was any malice in it, but still. Rough look for ol’ Clint. Naturally though, Tony Stewart couldn’t stop laughing the entire time.
