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Krista Voda: Todd Bodine shooting for season sweep in the Lone Star State
By Krista Voda
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Germain Racing's Todd Bodine has five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories in 10 starts at Texas Motor Speedway.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
COMMENTARY
No one has been better in the Camping World Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway in recent years than Todd Bodine, which is why the Germain Racing driver can’t wait for the Nov. 6 Winstar World Casino 350K.
Bodine has won five times in 10 career races at the track in the Lone Star State and has unofficially taken the title of track master from Brendan Gaughan, who has four victories there (but none since 2003).
But while Gaughan seemed to embrace the track’s Wild West image of cowboy hats and six shooters, Bodine says he’s not really the cowboy type.
“I enjoy it, I enjoy watching that sort of thing, but in no way do I consider myself a cowboy,” he says.
The guy nicknamed the “Onion from Chemung, New York” isn’t exactly cowboy-esque, but you wouldn’t know that by the way he races at Texas. Bodine says there are a combination of things that have led to his success at the mile-and-a-half track in Fort Worth.
He says all the 1.5-mile tracks are similar, but each one has its own quirks. Whatever those quirky things are, at Texas, they fit Bodine well. Whether it’s the bumps on the track’s racing surface, where to find his marks, or how to enter and exit the corners. Bodine knows what he needs in his truck and crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. knows how to give it to him.
Bodine knows it’s time to, pardon the expression, “cowboy up,” and improve his performance in the season’s final three races. He has two wins and is fourth in points, yet the 2006 series champion, who has 17 career Truck victories, has higher standards. Bodine says the team’s goal is to win the final three races at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead. He’s also a past winner at Phoenix and Homestead.
“It’s very feasible, but it would take a whole lot of luck and whole lot of things to go right,” Bodine says.
Bodine says he loves the atmosphere surrounding the events at Texas. It’s one of the most publicized races of the year, the purse is great and there’s always a good crowd on hand.
“There’s a lot of energy around that race,” he says.
Now, Bodine saddles up for the return trip. Having won the June 5 race at Texas, he is gunning for his first season sweep at the track. With his sidekick, Hillman Jr., watching his back, don’t be surprised if Bodine rounds up another Texas Motor Speedway trophy to add to his stable.
Krista Voda hosts the popular SPEED prerace show NCWTS Setup, leading into each NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Voda is also a regular host on The SPEED Report and serves as a pit reporter for NASCAR on FOX coverage of the Sprint Cup Series.
Mentioned Drivers: Todd Bodine
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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