From The Inside
by Todd Bodine-Staff Writer and Winston Cup Driver
09/05/2003

Hi Race Fans -

After a couple of tough events for the BELCAR Racing team at Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, we headed into the legendary Darlington International Raceway last weekend, itching for a solid run.

In the spring race at Darlington, we had a good No. 54 National Guard Ford Taurus. However, we were never able to show our magic, as we were wiped out in an early accident. I have had some previous success at Darlington, so I knew it could happen again.

In the first practice session, we were not bad. We placed 19th on the speed charts, which was a pretty respectable position. The only problem that we were facing was that the car was pushing back to the throttle, so we were going to make some shock adjustments before heading out on to the track for qualifying. We were hoping that would correct our problem.

In time trials, we weren't bad. The BELCAR Racing team posted the 27th quickest lap. It was exactly the same as it was in practice and we ran just a little bit faster. At least we backed that up, but we're missing it in the shocks a little bit. That's where we made our gains in practice, but we've got to keep working on it. We basically just ran out of time.

In the second practice session, the car was pushing back to throttle, then neutral through the middle. Turns three and four were most challenging because the car was really pushing. We made some track bar changes there and it seemed to loosen the car up for us. The third and final practice went a whole lot better even though the time did not reflect it. The National Guard Ford was handling much better through turns three and four.

At the start of the race, the car was very tight under throttle. I told the guys from the beginning that I was going to sit back and ride around for a while. It was such a long race and the last time we were here we were taken out on lap 23 to finish dead last. This time we were going to do everything we could to run a solid race and most importantly, finish it. We did.

I couldn't be happier with the overall performance of this National Guard crew during the weekend. The guys worked incredibly hard to turn in a solid qualifying effort and then backed it up with two practice sessions that had us ready to go on Sunday.

The biggest thing a driver has to remember about this place is you don't race the competitors. You race the actual track. That's what I did. We came out of this in one piece. I was really happy with 17th place.

We're heading to Richmond this weekend. I enjoy racing there, especially under the lights. I am happy to see they have implemented the SAFER Barrier. It's a win-win situation for everyone. More tracks need to seriously explore this technology. I learned first hand at Indy the importance of having them installed. Richmond resembles Darlington in a sense that tire management is crucial. Brake management is also key. Within the first ten laps, your brakes will be glowing.

What's unique about Richmond, is this race could easily turn into a fuel mileage race. If that's the case, you not only have to conserve fuel to be there in the end, but you've got to manage your tires as well. Handling is always important, but here you've got to be able to manage turn 2. It's very sharp and turn 4 is long, and sweeping so horsepower is needed as well.

Track position is crucial because it's tough to pass here. You are doing well if you have passed five or six cars in your sequence.

We finished fifth back in 2002, we're looking to repeat that or exceed that this weekend.

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series is ready to attack Richmond International Raceway this weekend. The green flag for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 drops shortly after 7:30 PM EST, with live coverage on TNT beginning at 7:00 PM EST, with MRN radio also joining at 7:00pm EST.

I am hoping for a great race on Saturday night and hope that you will be keeping an eye on the National Guard Ford along with your favorite driver(s).

I'll talk to you next week and thanks for reading!
Todd Bodine

You can reach Todd Bodine at: tbodine@catchfence.com