NASCAR BGN: Geoffrey Bodine wants to keep track position at Bristol

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

August 21, 2001

Geoffrey Bodine On Bristol Motor Speedway . . "Track position is everything at a short half-mile bullring like Bristol. I've always enjoyed racing at Bristol. Track position is real important which is why we went and tested there. We need to get a good starting position. Cars can go a lap down real fast at Bristol, and we don't need to be back there. We spent a couple days testing there and it went well. I am pumped up and looking forward to racing at Bristol again."

Equipment . . . "Hillbilly" is the car the Phillips 66 team will compete with this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. "Hillbilly" has been quite successful at Bristol for the No. 66 team. "Hillbilly" scored the Phillips 66 team a pair of fifth-place finishes in 1999 and a third-place finish during the spring race in 2000.

Geoffrey Returns To Winston Cup Action At Bristol . . . Bodine will attempt to make his first start in a Winston Cup car since last season as teammate to his brother Brett Bodine. Bodine will compete in the No. 09 Ford carrying the colors of sponsor Smirnoff Ice.

"I've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time," Bodine said. "I wasn't quite ready to be back in a Cup car last year, but I've been running these Busch races and I feel like I am ready now. I've always wanted to do a deal with one of my brothers. Hopefully we'll be able to help each other out and get some more backing for Brett's team."

Testing At Bristol . . . Bodine and the No. 66 Phillips 66 team spent two days testing at the half-mile oval of Bristol Motor Speedway during the early part of August. The team hopes the information gathered during the test will translate into success Friday night.

"We tried a lot of different things when we were testing," Richeson explained. "We were running laps that would have put us on the pole during the spring race. Geoffrey is running the Winston Cup race and that may help us out as well. It seems to be helping teams like the No. 2 car, who have guys run both the Winston Cup and Busch events."

Text provided by Penny Copen

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