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NASCAR BGN: Todd Bodine ready for the challenges of the Phoenix oval

3 November 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Todd Bodine
Phoenix International Raceway
NASCAR Busch Series Notes

On Phoenix: For the second week in a row, the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division will make its racing debut at a racing venue new to the schedule. Phoenix International Raceway is old hat for the Winston Cup series, but very few Busch Series regulars have made a lap at the one-mile facility. One of the few who have seat time at Phoenix is Todd Bodine, driver of the Phillips 66 Chevrolet.

"Phoenix is real comparable to St. Louis," Bodine said. "Their shape is relatively the same, the lay out, and the way it drives. The only real difference is that there is a dog-leg in the backstretch at Phoenix. We'll have a little bit of an advantage because I know my way around the track pretty good and we're taking the same car we had in Memphis last weekend. We'll just have to see how it goes."

Bodine isn't the only Phillips 66 team member with experience at Phoenix. Crew chief Donnie Richeson has been to Phoenix on several occasions and looks forward to the opportunity to compete in the track's first Busch Series event.

"I like going out to Phoenix period," Richeson said. "Back in the early years when I was working with Kyle (Petty) at Sabco we had some pretty good success. We did pretty good at Phoenix when I was working at King Racing and Brett (Bodine) was driving. Phoenix is not a hard track to figure out, but it is a good track. I've seen Cup races go caution free. It will be an interesting weekend for the Busch Series."

Equipment: The car Bodine will compete with in Phoenix this weekend is "Twister." "Twister" is the same car Bodine wheeled around Memphis to a fourth-place finish last weekend.

Last Week In Memphis: Bodine and the Phillips 66 team were the team to beat last weekend at Memphis. After qualifying the Phillips 66 car in fifth, Bodine immediately flexed the strength of the Phillips 66 car by taking the race lead on lap 35. A slight altercation on pit road during a late race pit stop put Bodine at the end of the field with less than 65 laps to go. Despite the damage on his Phillips 66 Chevy, Bodine raced to a fourth-place finish.

Bodine Favorite: Bodine's favorite holiday is Christmas.

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.