Todd Bodine
No. 5 International Trucks/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra
Pocono Raceway – Good Sam 125
August 6, 2011
No. 5 Randy Moss Motorsports International Trucks/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra News and Notes
· This Week’s Tundra… The No. 5 International Trucks/Monaco RVs team and Germain Racing driver Todd Bodine will race GR-018 in Saturday’s 50-lap NCWTS race at Pocono Raceway. Chassis GR-018 is a new race truck from the Germain Racing stable that was raced to a sixth-place finish by Bodine in its debut at Nashville Superspeedway two weeks ago. Mike Hillman, Jr., will once again be atop the pit box calling the shots for the defending series champion as this marks the fourth week of a collaborative effort between Germain Racing and Randy Moss Motorsports to field the No. 5 Tundra.
· Home Cookin’… Bodine, a native of nearby Chemung , NY, scored his third of five career Sprint Cup Series poles at Pocono in July 2001 driving for owner Travis Carter. Bodine’s older brother Geoff has three Cup victories at Pocono Raceway, and both will attempt to qualify for this weekend’s 500-mile Cup Series race.
· Holding Steady… With his 12th-place finish last week in Indianapolis , Bodine maintained his 10th-place standing in the driver points and is just 50 points out of the top three.
· Watch and Listen… The Good Sam 125 from Pocono Raceway will be broadcast live on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, on Saturday afternoon. SPEED kicks off its pre-race coverage at 12:30 p.m. EDT, and MRN Radio will begin its live broadcast at 12:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 6. SPEED will also carry live broadcasts of practice on Friday afternoon (2:00 p.m. EDT) and qualifying on Saturday morning (9:30 a.m. EDT).
Todd Bodine on Pocono Raceway:
Race Strategy for 50-lap Event:
“Our strategy is to start up front with our International Trucks/Monaco RVs Tundra and stay there because it’s a one pit stop race. There isn’t enough time to overcome anything. That’s what happened to us last year. We spun out with nine to go and there wasn’t enough time to get back up front.”
Only “Complaint” about Pocono Race:
“The race is way too short, but it’s better than not being there at all. I’d love to see it be at least 200 miles. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series put on a good show there last year and I expect more of the same this trip.”
On Racing on “Hometown” Turf (Bodine is native of nearby Chemung , NY ; wife hails from Wilkes-Barre , PA area):
“We get all the home town benefits when we get to come here for racing, that’s for sure. It makes it nice.”
On Hosting Onion Slice Open for 2nd Year, Week of Race:
“This week isn’t as hectic as you’d think. We have the golf tournament on Thursday, and Tuesday and Wednesday are setup days to get ready for it. It’s busy, but it’s not too awful bad.”
Which Turn Gets the Most Focus in Tuning the Tundra Setup:
“The turn you have to worry about as far as the setup goes is turn three. All three corners are important, but that’s the one you have to worry about the most. The truck has to be able to get off the corners and up to speed quickly or else you lose a lot of time on the straightaways.”
What is Team Priority in Picking Right Tundra for Pocono:
“Obviously it’s got to handle. But with such long straightaways you need to have a good motor and a good, aerodynamically sound body. The aero package is as important as handling is. Really – at Pocono, you need all three elements to be competitive.”
Is the Tunnel Turn Scary?
“First time you do it, it is a little intimidating, but after that, it’s not. You get used to it and realize the truck is gonna stick.”
