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NASCAR BGN: Todd Bodine calls Talladega most 'intense' track

11 April 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

"If there was only one word I could use to describe Talladega it would be intense. Although we run faster laps at places like Atlanta, it's not quite as intense as the racing at Talladega. We'll be running door-to-door and bumper-to-tail at Talladega at speeds of 190 mph in the draft. It's very intense and one of the most exciting races of the season." -- Todd Bodine, driver of the No. 66 Phillips 66 Chevrolet

Todd's Thoughts On Talladega . . . "Talladega is fast, intense and exciting. Superspeedway racing is kind of unique because regardless of what kind of car you had in qualifying, you can still be good in the race. We didn't qualify real good in Daytona earlier this year, but we were pretty good in the race. The draft is such a huge factor in the outcome of a superspeedway race. I haven't been real lucky during the last three superspeedway races in the Busch Series. We got caught up in wrecks in 1999 and we broke a motor this year at Daytona after a piece of debris put a hole in the radiator and caused the engine to overheat. We really hope to get a break at Talladega and finish all the laps so we can maintain this points lead. If you can finish all the laps at Talladega, then it's been a good day."

Crew Chief Donnie Richeson On Talladega . . . "Handling is not an issue at Talladega. A good car can't be separated from a bad car at Talladega because of the draft. The thing that makes Talladega such a scary event is that it takes one slight mistake on the part of one driver and 20 people will pay the price. Drivers have to be precise and consistent for 300 miles while running side-by-side at 190 mph."

The Equipment . . . "Ozzy" makes its second appearance of the 2000 season this weekend at Talladega. "Ozzy" started 37th in Daytona and finished 34th after a piece of debris damaged the radiator and overheated the engine. Although no sheet metal damage was sustained, "Ozzy" has received a face-lift of sorts.

"We basically cut the car all apart after having such a hard time qualifying in Daytona and started over with the car," Richeson explained. "We learned a lot while in Daytona and saw what some of the other teams were doing. We've really come a long way in regards to qualifying since last year and we want to keep that up this weekend in Talladega."

Last Weekend in Nashville . . . The Phillips 66 Team scored their seventh consecutive top-10 finish of the 2000 season with a ninth-place finish last weekend at Nashville Speedway U.S.A. The ninth-place finish propelled Bodine and the Phillips 66 Team into the lead of the NASCAR Busch Series points battle.

Text provided by Penny Copen

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