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Todd Bodine has been hired by the Whelen Engineering/Marsh Racing team to drive the #31 Ford in the NASCAR Busch Series, beginning with this weekend's MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway. "Todd has been a Busch series stalwart for many years," said Phil Kurze, director of motorsports for Whelen Engineering. "We are thrilled that he will be bringing his talents to our team. And what adds to the enthusiasm is that he and (team crew chief) Ted Marsh go back a long way with a high-level of respect and understanding for each other." Bodine replaces Dave Blaney in the Whelen/Marsh ride, which is scheduled to compete in 10 Busch races in 2004. "The situation with Dave was amicable," said Kurze. "He is in pursuit of a full-time Nextel Cup ride and we didn't want to restrict him from any opportunities. All of us associated with the Whelen Engineering/Marsh Racing team wish Dave the best and sincerely thank him for his contributions." Bodine, the youngest of the three racing brothers from Chemung, N.Y., said that he is looking forward to his new Busch ride. "I am pretty excited about joining the Whelen/Marsh team," said Bodine. "I have known Ted Marsh for nearly 25 years, we've always been friends. The team has great cars, a good pit crew and that's what makes it exciting to go there and race. I wouldn't get into this ride if I didn't think we have a shot at winning." Speaking of winning, Bodine knows exactly what it takes to taste victory in the Busch series, especially at the Dover track. Of his 15 career Busch wins, three have come at Dover, including his first NASCAR triumph. "I always seem to run strong at Dover, even in the Cup series," explained Bodine. "Dover is one of those tracks where you have to be aggressive and be on top of the wheel every lap. It kind of suits my style. It's a very intimidating track, but I have never been one to get intimidated."(DMF Communications PR
