Todd Bodine hopes to return to Nextel Cup Series
Ron Levanduski
Todd Bodine hopes to ride the wave of success he's had with Germain Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to the Nextel Cup ranks.
The Chemung native, who scored three consecutive Truck Series wins to close the 2005 season, is a favorite for the title heading into the 2006 season. He finished third in the points standings this year.
On Sunday, he collected $156,551 in point-fund money at the Truck Series' annual awards ceremony at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla. That haul brought his season earnings to $805,908. The banquet will be televised at 10 p.m. Dec. 26 on Speed Channel.
Bodine last competed full time in the Cup series with the BelCar Racing team in 2003. That team dissolved after losing its primary sponsor. He's hungry to get back to NASCAR's premier series and hopes Germain Racing will be his ticket.
"That's what I want to do, and it's definitely our goal as a company," Bodine said last week. "If we have the funding to run a Cup team, we'll run a Cup team."
Bodine said his path back to a full-time Cup ride would likely coincide with Toyota's unannounced, but widely expected, plan to expand its presence in NASCAR to the Busch Series and/or Nextel Cup.
"Whatever the Germain brothers decide they want to do, where they want the business to go, that's where I'll be," Bodine said. "If Toyota moves up to Nextel Cup, we'd like to go with them."
He said a move to Nextel Cup would depend on having enough sponsorship money.
"We're pursuing sponsorship now and trying to be prepared," he said. "We're not going to overextend ourselves just to be in the Cup Series."
Germain Racing spokesman Jayson Kaplan said Wednesday from his Charlotte, N.C., office that a possible move to the Nextel Cup Series could be a few years away.
"Our goal is to grow with Toyota and go Cup racing, if that's where they go," Kaplan said. "Whatever Toyota decides to do is basically how we're gunning our program to be."
Kaplan said if Toyota enters the Busch Series first, possibly in 2007, then Germain Racing will follow suit. He said the team will continue to run in the Truck Series even if it expands.
"Our focus is to bring Toyota its first Truck Series championship," Kaplan said.
Bodine competed in only one Nextel Cup race in 2005, driving the No. 4 Morgan-McClure Motorsports car at the Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale. He finished 20th in the Ford 400.
Bodine said he turned down a full-time Nextel Cup ride with Morgan-McClure for 2006 because of commitments with Germain Racing.
"They want me to run full time for them next year," Bodine said. "Obviously, I can't do that. It's a great group there. Morgan-McClure has been very important to NASCAR and has got a lot of history. If we didn't have such a good Truck team, I probably would have considered it."
Mike Wallace was Morgan-McClure's regular driver in 2005.
Bodine said he could run some Nextel Cup races in 2006 but did not mention a specific team.
"We're probably going to run some Cup races next year, we don't know what for sure," Bodine said. "We just have to see what happens. I've got a lot going on with Germain Racing and a lot to look forward to."
Bodine said he may run some Busch Series races with Elmira native Frank Cicci's team. Cicci said last month he is close to putting together a sponsorship package for next season and said he'd like to have Bodine drive for him.
"Our main focus is with running the truck and winning more races and a championship," Bodine said. "We've hired two more people. We're just getting stronger, and we're working on our trucks and making them better."
Ron Levanduski
Todd Bodine hopes to ride the wave of success he's had with Germain Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to the Nextel Cup ranks.
The Chemung native, who scored three consecutive Truck Series wins to close the 2005 season, is a favorite for the title heading into the 2006 season. He finished third in the points standings this year.
On Sunday, he collected $156,551 in point-fund money at the Truck Series' annual awards ceremony at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla. That haul brought his season earnings to $805,908. The banquet will be televised at 10 p.m. Dec. 26 on Speed Channel.
Bodine last competed full time in the Cup series with the BelCar Racing team in 2003. That team dissolved after losing its primary sponsor. He's hungry to get back to NASCAR's premier series and hopes Germain Racing will be his ticket.
"That's what I want to do, and it's definitely our goal as a company," Bodine said last week. "If we have the funding to run a Cup team, we'll run a Cup team."
Bodine said his path back to a full-time Cup ride would likely coincide with Toyota's unannounced, but widely expected, plan to expand its presence in NASCAR to the Busch Series and/or Nextel Cup.
"Whatever the Germain brothers decide they want to do, where they want the business to go, that's where I'll be," Bodine said. "If Toyota moves up to Nextel Cup, we'd like to go with them."
He said a move to Nextel Cup would depend on having enough sponsorship money.
"We're pursuing sponsorship now and trying to be prepared," he said. "We're not going to overextend ourselves just to be in the Cup Series."
Germain Racing spokesman Jayson Kaplan said Wednesday from his Charlotte, N.C., office that a possible move to the Nextel Cup Series could be a few years away.
"Our goal is to grow with Toyota and go Cup racing, if that's where they go," Kaplan said. "Whatever Toyota decides to do is basically how we're gunning our program to be."
Kaplan said if Toyota enters the Busch Series first, possibly in 2007, then Germain Racing will follow suit. He said the team will continue to run in the Truck Series even if it expands.
"Our focus is to bring Toyota its first Truck Series championship," Kaplan said.
Bodine competed in only one Nextel Cup race in 2005, driving the No. 4 Morgan-McClure Motorsports car at the Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale. He finished 20th in the Ford 400.
Bodine said he turned down a full-time Nextel Cup ride with Morgan-McClure for 2006 because of commitments with Germain Racing.
"They want me to run full time for them next year," Bodine said. "Obviously, I can't do that. It's a great group there. Morgan-McClure has been very important to NASCAR and has got a lot of history. If we didn't have such a good Truck team, I probably would have considered it."
Mike Wallace was Morgan-McClure's regular driver in 2005.
Bodine said he could run some Nextel Cup races in 2006 but did not mention a specific team.
"We're probably going to run some Cup races next year, we don't know what for sure," Bodine said. "We just have to see what happens. I've got a lot going on with Germain Racing and a lot to look forward to."
Bodine said he may run some Busch Series races with Elmira native Frank Cicci's team. Cicci said last month he is close to putting together a sponsorship package for next season and said he'd like to have Bodine drive for him.
"Our main focus is with running the truck and winning more races and a championship," Bodine said. "We've hired two more people. We're just getting stronger, and we're working on our trucks and making them better."