Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 25, 1995 TAG: 9509250124
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE LENGTH: Medium
But staying out of school won't be all fun and games for the 17-year-old son of Winston Cup star Geoff Bodine. Barry Bodine will be making his NASCAR SuperTruck debut in the Goody's 150 at 10 a.m. in a field that includes Darrell Waltrip, Ken Schrader, his uncle Todd Bodine and good old dad.
The Goody's 150 was supposed to be run Saturday, but rain forced the postponement of the race until today. So Bodine was forced to wait two more days to make his debut.
``It's stressing me out,'' said Bodine, a senior at Southeast Guilford High School in Julian, N.C., a Greensboro suburb. ``I waited all day Friday, and now I have to wait all weekend.''
Bodine had put in three practice sessions at Martinsville this summer in preparation for the truck race and had about 300 laps under his belt, including several qualifying practice laps.
The qualifying laps weren't necessary, though, because of the rainout. He is in the 36-truck lineup because his entry for the race had one of the earlier postmarks.``I still made the field, but would rather have qualified,'' he said.
Today's race will be his only appearance in a SuperTruck this year, but the teen-age Bodine hopes to compete in more events next year. He graduates from high school in January, then it's off to work in his dad's garage.
Geoff Bodine is confident in his son's ability as a driver and plans to guide him through a limited SuperTruck schedule in 1996.
``It felt pretty awesome just practicing with him,'' Geoff Bodine said. ``I wasn't as nervous seeing him out there as I thought I would be.
``He knows what he's doing. [Today] will be the big test. He'll see how tough it is.''
But Barry said he isn't intimidated by the Goody's 150 field.
``If I can get up to them, it will be fun,'' he said of the Winston Cup stars. ``I think they'll be too far ahead for them to notice me, though.''``I'm worrying about playing it cool and finishing the race. Hopefully I'll be running good enough where they won't lap me too much. If there come a time I have to race them, I'll be careful - that's for sure.''
As for Barry's return to school Tuesday, his father already knows what he'll write on the excuse note.
``Vocational training,'' Geoff Bodine said.
The race will be televised live by ESPN2 cable, and a condensed, taped version of the race will be shown on ESPN at 10 p.m. WSLC (610 AM) will have the live Motor Racing Network broadcast of the race at 9:45 a.m.
Tickets are $20 for the race, which was supposed to be Ernie Irvan's comeback event. When rain forced the cancellation of qualifying, the field was selected by points and the date entries were received by mail. That left Irvan out.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB