Driver Todd Bodine has only raced Nashville Superspeedway twice in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; both races were Toyota Tundra 200s. Winning on Saturday night at Nashville is a matter of pride for Tundra drivers, according to Bodine, and the defending Truck Series champion hopes that the truck in victory lane on Saturday is none other than the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra he drives.
"Any time Toyota sponsors a race, there's added incentive to win," explained Bodine. "But at Nashville, when there will be about 8,000 Toyota team members and associates - a lot of them from the plant in Princeton, Ind., that makes Tundras, Sequoias and Siennas - it becomes almost a sense of pride among the Toyota drivers to be the one to win the race. We know we have all those fans there, rooting us all on, and it's important for us to win for them. We had a shot in the Lumber Liquidators Tundra last year and we hope we get that same shot this year. We'd love to be the winner in front of the big Toyota crowd."
For many crew chiefs, a huge challenge at Nashville Superspeedway can be keeping the driver from wearing out the Goodyear tires on their race truck. For Bodine's crew chief, Mike Hillman Jr., that issue isn't a big factor. Instead, it's more of the unique nature of the track.
"The track is really a beast of its own - we don't race anywhere else like it all year," said Hillman. "The track is too fast and too long to call it a short track, but you have to set up your Tundra with enough brakes because they are used a lot at Nashville. Tires really haven't been a factor for us with Todd behind the wheel. The driver has a lot of control over tire wear there."
The finale of last fall's Toyota Tundra 200 saw two fast Tundras (driven by Bodine and Mike Skinner) battle too hard for the win, moving both trucks out of contention and giving the victory to a Tundra that led only one lap (the No. 22 of Johnny Benson). Bodine says he and Skinner remember it well.
"We remember it every week. We classify it as a 'laughable memory' and we put it behind us. Mike says we're both boneheads, but we know better than that," chuckled Bodine, who finished 8th after leading 22 laps in last year's Toyota Tundra 200. "We've chalked it up to hard-headed racing and we'll go to Nashville and race each other like we do anywhere. We never plan on mistakes like that - but we probably expect hard racing out of each other."
Nashville has always been a strong track for Bodine. He has two Truck Series starts and five Busch Series starts; he's led laps in both series on the concrete oval. He hopes his Busch and Truck Series experiences will lead to success this weekend.
"We've come close at Nashville, we came close last year," said Bodine, who has only driven Toyota Tundras in Truck Series competition at Nashville. "I've always run well there, and I've done well in testing at Nashville. It's just been a good track for me and I hope we can turn that into a win this year."
Bodine is currently ranked third in the Truck Series points standings, behind leader Skinner and runner-up Ron Hornaday Jr.
Bodine Notes and Quotes: Nashville Superspeedway
Crew Chief Quips on Nashville, Mike Hillman Jr.: "A lot of times tires are the story at Nashville, but with Todd (Bodine) behind the wheel, it's really never been an issue for us. The driver has a lot of control over tire wear at Nashville Superspeedway. The track is really a beast of its own - we don't race anywhere else like it all year. The track is too fast and too long to call it a short track, but you have to set up your Tundra with enough brakes because they are used a lot at Nashville. The Lumber Liquidators Tundra was very strong last August and we look forward to trying to win that guitar in the Toyota Tundra 200 on Saturday night."
Toyota Tundra 200 Win Thoughts by Todd Bodine: "Any time Toyota sponsors a race, there's added incentive to win. But at Nashville, when there will be about 8,000 team members and associates, a lot of them from the plant in Princeton, Indiana, that makes Tundras, Sequoias and Siennas, it becomes almost a sense of pride among the Toyota drivers to be the one to win the race. We know we have all those fans there, rooting us all on, and it's important for us to win for them."
Bodine on his 'almosts' at Nashville: "We've come close, we came close last year, and got into it with (Mike) Skinner late in the race and missed winning. I've always run well there, and I've done well in testing at Nashville. It's just been a good track for me and I hope we can turn that into a win this year."
Will Skinner and Bodine remember last year's race when they pull into Nashville? "We remember it every week. We classify it as a 'laughable memory' and we put it behind us. Mike (Skinner) says we're both boneheads, but we know better than that! We've chalked it up to hard-headed racing, and we'll go to Nashville and race each other like we do anywhere. We never plan on mistakes like that - but we probably expect hard racing out of each other."
Recap 2006 Nashville race: Bodine started 21st, in the 2006 Toyota Tundra 200. He worked his way to the front on two occasions to lead 22 of the race's 151 laps. He's only driven a Toyota Tundra in Truck Series competition at Nashville Superspeedway.
Appearances: Wednesday, August 8th, Bodine will appear at Bodine Aluminum in Jackson, Tenn., to visit with plant employees. Thursday, August 9th, Bodine will appear on "Tennessee Mornings" on FOX 17 TV of Nashville at 7:40 a.m. Central, then in the evening, he'll sign autographs for Lumber Liquidators customers and race fans at Opry Mills Mall from 7-8 p.m., Central. Also on Thursday, listen for Bodine on The Big 98 / WSIX, he'll do an interview with host Dennis "Newman" Hughes.