Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday to compete in final round of Copart Challenge at Talladega
The final round of the Copart Challenge of Champions is on tap for Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, pitting NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers Todd Bodine and Ron Hornaday.
This is the final in a series of designated races in which the driver who accumulates the most points will win the Challenge, receive a trophy and donate $5,000 to his favorite charity courtesy of the online-vehicle auction company.
Hornaday leads the Challenge with 530 points to Bodine’s 424 but with a possible 195 points available per race, the competition is still up for grabs.
“I’m looking forward to see who wins the Copart Challenge of Champions,” Hornaday said. “It’s been a tight race between Todd and me.”
Two race fans - Sheryl Montavan of Rockford, Ill., and Darlene Coleman of Beloit, Wis., - have been chosen to receive race accommodations for Saturday’s Mountain Dew 250.
Montavan is a Hornaday fan and Coleman is a Bodine fan and the two will watch the race from their favorite driver’s pit. The fan of whichever driver wins the Challenge will receive autographed memorabilia from her driver and lifetime status as a Copart member.
“It’s great to see Copart stepping in with the offer of the donation to the champion’s charity of choice,” said Bodine, who will wear a pink helmet at Talladega to help promote National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “I picked the American Cancer Society - it is a great cause. We all need to do what we can to help. Hopefully, we can win the American Cancer Society a little bit of money.”
Hornaday’s designated charity is the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C. The camp serves children with special health-care needs.
“Kids are a passion of ours,” said Hornaday, who drives the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet. “They are the future of our sport and anything that I can do on or off the race track to help raise money for sick children I am more than willing to do.”
While Bodine hasn’t enjoyed a season as strong that of Hornaday, who leads the standings and has a series-high six wins, Bodine brings a more impressive record to Talladega.
He has won the series’ last two races at the track while Mark Martin won the inaugural race in 2006.
The Copart Challenge gives Bodine some added incentive to keep his Talladega hot streak alive this weekend.
“You know every time you race Ron he’s giving it all he’s got, 110 percent,” he said. “If you can end up beating him, you’ve accomplished a lot. Ron’s a great racer, a veteran and well established.”
