BODINE: Winning Team Wants Elusive Daytona Victory
02-13-2008 4:19 pm
Todd Bodine and Germain Racing have combined to win twelve NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and three pole awards since their relationship began. Together they have never finished outside the top-five at Daytona International Speedway, and last fall, they put the Lumber Liquidators Tundra in Gatorade Victory Lane for the Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Though the combination of driver and team has netted the reputation as the Tundra team with the most wins, earned a crew chief of the year award and the 2006 Truck Series championship, a Daytona win has eluded them. They hope to challenge that statistic in Friday's Chevy Silverado 250. "I've been going to Daytona for thirty years, and I've never won a race there as a crew member or as a driver. To win there, at the 'super bowl of NASCAR,' would definitely be a highlight in my career," said Bodine. "The Lumber Liquidators Tundra has been strong every time we've been to Daytona, and when we've gone to Talladega. Daytona is much more of a handling race track. The truck has to handle well and be able to lead the pack. We had a good test and we're looking forward to a strong race on Friday." Strength is in team work, a belief that is the core of crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.'s strategy for the #30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra team. "We win or lose as a team. When Todd is behind the wheel of the Lumber Liquidators Tundra, he gives us his best. We give him our best preparing the #30 Tundra, and working on it throughout the race," said Hillman Jr. "In a racing series that has no mulligans, that just watched two former champions battle until the last race before the 2007 championship was decided, there's no way to be successful as an individual. We have to rely on one another's strengths and keep our team strong, unified to contend for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, and a Daytona win, this season. Germain Racing joined NASCAR's top ranks in 2004 and earned two victories in a partial Truck Series schedule, five in 2005, three in 2006 and three in 2007. The team became Toyota's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champions in 2006 and in 2007 Germain Racing stepped into Busch Series competition earning a top-ten finish after leading 15 laps in their first-ever Busch Series race. "Our goals for the #30 team season are narrowly focused. We want to win races, and win another championship. Starting the year with a win at Daytona would definitely put the team on track," said Bodine.