NASCAR: Fans Tear up After Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer's Final Race

Sunday evening, NASCAR driver Chase Elliott won the Season Finale 500, marking the first Cup [...]

By John Newby

Sunday evening, NASCAR driver Chase Elliott won the Season Finale 500, marking the first Cup Series championship of his career. He was not the only driver capping off a historic season, however. Clint Bowyer, the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Ford Mustang, and Jimmie Johnson, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, both raced for the final time before entering retirement and pursuing other opportunities. Bowyer will join Jeff Gordon and Mike Joy in the FOX Sports booth while Johnson will pursue an IndyCar career with Chip Ganassi Racing.

When fans tuned in for the race, they kept a box of tissues nearby. They knew that Sunday would be emotional for many reasons, especially with two of the sport's great drivers walking away. There had been countless tributes posted on social media prior to the race, many of which elicited tears from racing fans. The waterworks continued on Sunday during and after the race came to an end.

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Bowyer made the playoffs after a wild 2020 NASCAR season, but the seven-time champion in Johnson missed the cut after wrecks and struggles derailed his final full-time season. He recovered with a strong performance in his final race, keeping pace with the championship four drivers and finishing just behind them at the checkered flag.

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Johnson was a fan-favorite driver for much of his Cup Series career. He entertained viewers en route to his seven championship wins and built a reputation as a "class act." Once Johnson retired from full-time racing, the fans continued to rave about his career and how he impressed as a human being.

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Bowyer had several sponsors throughout his 16-year Cup Series career, including Cheerios, Oakley, Bass Pro Shops and Toyota among others. The result of these partnerships is that there were many different merchandise options for the fans. Some chose to celebrate Bowyer's final outing by representing as many sponsors as possible.

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"Every NASCAR fan has that one driver they love, and every NASCAR fan has that one driver they can't stand," comedian Jeff Foxworthy said in an old special. His words rang true on Sunday after Johnson and Bowyer took part in their final race. Some fans said that they "still love" some of the drivers that they root against, even if they provided many negative memories.

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There was no shortage of racing fans posting about Bowyer and Johnson following Sunday's race. They expressed considerable sadness about the two veterans walking away from the Cup Series, but they also offered congratulations as well. The fans said that they were happy about Johnson and Bowyer getting to spend time with their loved ones in the future.

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There was a common theme on Sunday as more and more people reacted to Bowyer and Johnson retiring. Racing fans referred to the two men as "class acts" and "legends" for all of the things that they accomplished during their careers. Many also proclaimed that the Bowyer joining the FOX Sports booth would be one of the best aspects of the 2021 Cup Series season.

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While there were many people trying to hide the fact that they were crying on Sunday night, others were taking a different approach to the conversation. They wanted to know why only Bowyer and Johnson drew attention. Matt Kenseth also retired again, opening the door for Ross Chastain joining Chip Ganassi Racing. The 48-year-old came out of retirement during the NASCAR postponement to replace Kyle Larson. He then finished out the season, starting 32 races and securing a top-five finish.

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