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NASCAR BGN: Todd Bodine always competitve at superspeedways

8 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

"I think I have always been able to be competitive at the superspeedways. I've been able to run well in the draft, run up front and capable of winning the race. I have just never had a lot of luck when it comes to races at Daytona and Talladega. This Phillips 66 team is going to do its share and give 100 percent at Daytona. With a little luck, we may get the first Busch Series win of 2000."

-- Todd Bodine, driver of the No. 66 Phillips 66 Chevrolet

* The combination of Todd Bodine, Cicci-Welliver Racing and Phillips 66 takes a second stab at the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division championship with the start of the 2000 season. Bodine and his Phillips 66 gang return with the same team from 1999 during which they finished fourth in the final point standings, scoring 10 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Bodine considers the team's continuity a valuable asset heading into the 2000 season.

"We've been pretty busy in the off season with the new Monte Carlos," Bodine explained. "The guys have been working until nine and ten o'clock at night getting ready. We've got a big bonus in that we have the same exact team that we finished the 1999 season with. These guys have worked together throughout the entire off season building new race cars, practicing pit stops and I think they're going to be tough to top in 2000."

* A lot of teams will be gambling on the new Chevy Monte Carlo during Speedweeks, including the Phillips 66 team. Crew chief Donnie Richeson believes that the new Monte Carlo will be up to delivering the goods when it comes to race time.

"Typically, Daytona becomes a handling race track by the end of the week after the 125s have been run, the IROC race and other events leading up to the Busch and Winston Cup events," Richeson said. "The new Monte Carlo has more downforce which is excellent for improving the handling of a race car. Everyone is gambling on the Monte Carlo doing real well when it comes time to race on Saturday."

* The car Bodine will compete with in Daytona is named "Ozzy." New to the Cicci-Welliver Racing stables, "Ozzy" is a car built in-house by team member Steve Scharr. The car was named "Ozzy" in honor of Scharr's favorite performer, Ozzy Osbourne.

2000 BGN Schedule:

2/19 Daytona Beach, Fla.
2/26 Rockingham, N.C.
3/4 Las Vegas, Nev.
3/11 Hampton, Ga.
3/18 Darlington, S.C.
3/25 Bristol, Tenn.
4/1 Fort Worth, Texas
4/8 Nashville, Tenn.
4/15 Talladega, Ala.
4/29 Fontana, Calif.
5/5 Richmond, Va.
5/13 Loudon, N.H.
5/27 Concord, N.C.
6/3 Dover, Del.
6/10 South Boston, Va.
6/17 Myrtle Beach, S.C.
6/25 Watkins Glen, N.Y.
7/2 Milwaukee, Wis.
7/16 Nazareth, Pa.
7/22 Fountain, Colo.
7/29 Madison, Ill.
8/4 Indianapolis, Ind.
8/19 Brooklyn, Mich.
8/25 Bristol, Tenn.
9/2 Darlington, S.C.
9/8 Richmond, Va.
9/23 Dover, Del.
10/7 Concord, N.C.
10/21 Rockingham, N.C.
10/29 Memphis, Tenn.
11/4 Phoenix, Ariz.
11/11 Homestead, Fla.

Text Provided by Penny Copen

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