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Since he arrived before the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Clint Bowyer has been a mainstay in the Fox broadcast booth, working alongside Mike Joy the last two seasons. Following the departure of Jeff Gordon after last season, the two have worked with a rotational lineup of guest analysts in 2022, including Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, and Matt Kenseth.

This week is Fox’s final race of the season before the coverage switches over to NBC. But in an odd twist, Bowyer, who hasn’t missed a race since he started working with the network, surprisingly won’t be there. 

Clint Bowyer worked last two seasons in Fox’s NASCAR Cup coverage

Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart talk
Former NASCAR drivers and NASCAR on Fox broadcast team members, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart speak at a press conference during previews for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 04, 2022. | Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Clint Bowyer seamlessly transitioned from behind the wheel to behind the mic and in the broadcast booth before last season, where he worked with Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon. The two former drivers played well off each other, providing insightful info to the viewing audience while taking playful jabs at each other. 

This season has been noticeably different. With Gordon moving on to other business ventures, Bowyer and Joy have welcomed an assortment of guest analysts throughout the season.

Tony Stewart kicked off the season’s coverage and quickly proved to be a skilled analyst who could also handle Bowyer’s sometimes over-the-top behavior. Among all the guests, including Patrick, Kenseth, Darrell Waltrip, Chad Knaus, and others, Stewart was one of the best and will close it out this weekend in Sonoma, the track where he earned his final Cup victory in 2016.

Clint Bowyer missing Fox’s final NASCAR broadcast in 2022

Interestingly, Bowyer’s former boss will be in the booth, but Bowyer won’t. Something appeared amiss yesterday during the network’s coverage of qualifying at Sonoma when Larry McReynolds joined Joy in the booth. It’s typically been Bowyer and the longtime announcer describing the action.

On Sunday, The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi tweeted out that the former driver, who turned 43 at the end of last month, would not be available.

“‘Clint Bowyer will not be part of Fox Sports’ NASCAR broadcast today as he is ‘handling a personal matter,'” Fox Sports tells The Athletic,” the reporter tweeted.

Quiet since last week’s race

Clint Bowyer was in the booth for last weekend’s inaugural race at World Wide Technology Raceway. The Kansas native was singing the praises of the track. 

Last Sunday was also the last time Bowyer posted on his Twitter account, which is odd when his timeline reveals that he tweets almost daily, sometimes multiple tweets in a day. 

There was no indication last week that he wouldn’t be in attendance for the season finale at Sonoma with his former boss and friend Stewart. It’s a strange turn of events and one fans are hoping isn’t serious or a sign about his future with the network.

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Kyle Dalton

Kyle Dalton began covering sports in 1992 after he graduated from the University of Texas school of journalism. He published his book Burned Orange: Tom Penders and 10 Years at the University of Texas in 2000, and joined Sportscasting in 2020. Kyle expertly covers the NFL, NASCAR, and NCAA football.

Kyle finds inspiration in the unscripted drama of sports, the compelling journeys and life stories of the athletes who play the games, and he enjoys reading the work of Mitch Albom. He is a rabid consumer of all sports on all platforms: TV, Twitter, podcasts, live events, and more.