NASCAR Cup

Rockingham II: Todd Bodine preview

BODINE NEVER "TIRES" OF THE ROCKINGHAM CHALLENGE The North Carolina Speedway has been a tough track to conquer for Discover' Card driver Todd Bodine. Â However he never "tires" of the challenge and hopes he can crew chief Donnie Wingo can find ...

Published: Oct 31, 2002, 1:37 PM

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BODINE NEVER "TIRES" OF THE ROCKINGHAM CHALLENGE

The North Carolina Speedway has been a tough track to conquer for Discover' Card driver Todd Bodine. However he never "tires" of the challenge and hopes he can crew chief Donnie Wingo can find the "secret" to tackling "The Rock" with a career best, top-10 finish. This weekend's event mark's Bodine's 11th Winston Cup start at the 1.017-mile oval. FROM THE COCKPIT:

Todd Bodine, driver, No. 26 Discover Card Racing Taurus:

ROCKINGHAM HAS BEEN A TRACK THAT'S BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE FOR YOU. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

"It's been a real challenge that's for sure and it's something that Donnie Wingo and I plan to figure out this weekend. He and I have been working really well together and I think if we put our heads together, we can certainly make improvements. First and foremost, we are looking to get the car to slide an equal amount in the front and back with a significant amount of grip. And that applies to all four corners. At the Rock, there is not one area of the track you can put more emphasis on --- each corner is as important as the last."

"What I like about this place is the fact it is a driver's track. It requires a lot from me at all times. I've got to respect the fact that this place is very fast but hard on tires. There's a tire threshold and you certainly want to avoid going past it. I'll have to figure out how hard I can run the tires to maintain a good track position. At the same time, I'll have to constantly test which groove is the fastest. That fact will remain constant throughout the day. I've got to be able to find which groove at a specific time carries the most speed. The Rock is great in the fact that I'll have several options out there to try and plenty of room out on the track that makes passing possible."

FROM THE PIT BOX:

Donnie Wingo, crew chief, No. 26 Discover Card Racing Taurus:

TODD WENT OVER SET UP BUT WHEN IT COMES TO STRATEGY, WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE?

"Track position will pretty much dictate how we'll be forced to play things out. If we're fast, then we can stay out longer and better our position on the race track. However if we are struggling, then we'll have to monitor closely when to pit for adjustments and even more importantly, put on four fresh tires. This is one place where gambling on a four or two-tire stop really doesn't come into play. Four fresh Goodyears are what everyone will be wanting. They're a premium at a place like this. If we start sliding back then we'll have to decide when to give up track position in favor of taking on new tires. Knowing when to pit is so crucial here. If you time it out wrong, you can easily get one lap down. We certainly hope that won't be our case."

On tap this weekend for the entire Discover Card team, Bud Pole qualifying starting on Friday at 3:05 p.m., ET. Sunday's Discover Card pre-race show begins at noon, ET LIVE followed by the Pop Secret Microwave 400 race on TNT cable network.

-hcm-

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