Fresh off Olympic conquest, Geoff Bodine among those entered for Atlanta truck race
Truck Series races typically are a mix of up-and-coming and veteran racers, and the Atlanta 200 has one well-known veteran on its entry list who has not started a NASCAR points race since 2005.
Geoff Bodine, 60, is on the entry list to drive the No. 95 Team Gill Racing truck, which was driven by Johnny Benson in the season-opening race last month at Daytona.
Bodine helped make U.S. history last weekend at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. His Bo-Dyn four-man bobsled crew, led by driver Steve Holcomb, won America's first gold medal in that competition since 1948.
There are 39 trucks entered for the 36-truck race. Because there are only 22 trucks entered that had attempted to qualify for every race last year, there will be 17 drivers not guaranteed spots in the field vying for the other 14 spots.
There are only two full-time Sprint Cup drivers entered – Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, both of whom are driving for teams they own. Harvick is locked in from the points of last year’s series champion, Ron Hornaday, who could use a past champion’s provisional, if needed. Busch is one of the 17 drivers who must qualify on speed.
Other notable entries include former Cup driver J.J. Yeley driving for Daisy Ramirez Motorsports and Steve Wallace for Billy Ballew Motorsports.
Former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr., who made his NASCAR debut driving for Red Horse Racing at Daytona, is not on the entry list as the team continues to look for funding.
