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Feeling for family Bodine's most concerned fan is brother
Posted: Friday February 18, 2000 06:43 PM
By Ryan Smithson, CNNSI.com DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Geoffrey Bodine's truck finally came to rest in the exit of the tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway, 100,000 fans held their breath. Most concerned was Todd Bodine, Geoffrey's younger brother. "As a race car driver, you are just concerned for another race car driver," Todd said. "When I found out it was my brother, I went into shock. You can't believe it and you don't know what to think." Geoffrey Bodine, 50, broke an ankle, arm and cheek bone in the lap 57 crash. The crash caused such severe damage to the track's catch fence that it took over two hours to repair it. Todd, 35, was with his team when the crash occurred; the veteran Busch Series driver was preparing his No. 66 Chevrolet for practice later in the day. But everything stopped when he found out that his brother was injured. Bodine's first thought was of his family. "I called my Mom and told her what was going on," he said. "She is OK now."
The Bodine name is one of the most famous in all of racing. Geoffrey began his career in 1979; Todd enters his 11th Busch season; and brother Brett has 13 years under his belt. Each has been in his share of crashes, but none as bad as the one that occurred Friday. "Very few wrecks are this bad," Todd Bodine said. "We have all had some bad crashes, but he have been unscathed. We are lucky again." Todd Bodine will start 37th in Saturday's NAPA 300. His said that the crash won't affect how he approaches his job. "I have just got to come back and do it," he said. Todd and brother Brett, who watched the crash on television from a motorhome on the infield, left for the hospital after Todd briefed the press at 1:40 p.m.
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