NASCAR Legend – Geoff Bodine

Geoffrey Eli Bodine is finest regarded for his success in NASCAR. In the course of his 51-yr occupation, he was involved in many sorts of racing, starting with micro-midgets at the age of 5 and working his way up to Cup racing. He was popular in the Northwest for wining far more modified races than any other driver and is named in the Guinness Guide of Environment Records with “Most wins in just one time”.

Geoff is the oldest of a few brothers who have all been racecar drivers. He was born into a loved ones with a passion for racing. His father and grandfather crafted Chemung Speedrome in New York quickly after Geoff was born and it didn’t just take extended for him to create his racing expertise at this track.

About the age of 30, he created his very first get started in the then Dash Cup series. His initial whole season was in 1982 when he was named Rookie of the Yr. All through the mid 80’s, Geoff’s hunger for victory started to rise and he turned an intense and proficient driver, dominating a lot of of NASCAR’s occasions. He began to produce a burning rivalry with Dale Earnhardt and there was rigidity on and off the track. It is said that when when Earnhardt caught his son Dale, Jr. actively playing with a #5 Geoff Bodine toy motor vehicle, he took it from the boy and ruined it.

This rivalry led to a conference with NASCAR officials. Geoff has driven for some of the best identified vehicle entrepreneurs in NASCAR these as Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, and Rick Hendrick as nicely as driving his individual vehicles. Daytona Intercontinental Speedway has been a extremely eventful observe for Geoff. He attained his biggest victory there in 1986 at the Daytona 500. It truly is also the site of 1 of the most horrific and terrifying wrecks in NASCAR background. Geoff was driving in the Craftsman series when his truck together with 13 other people, was associated in a vicious crash. Geoff’s truck was thrown into the barrier fence and exploded into a huge fireball. 9 fans were being wounded and Geoff endured various damaged bones. He skipped over ½ of the 2000 season. Nonetheless, two decades later on he at the time again returned to Daytona for the Daytona 500 and proudly completed third.

Not only was Geoff a results on the keep track of, but he also was the innovation driving many racing items. He assisted introduce electrical power steering and entire face helmets into Cup racing. He also designed a particular spring-loaded seat that is now employed in various racing collection and a line of detailing items.

In addition to vehicle racing products and solutions, Geoff was included in building a much more competitive bobsled for the U.S. Olympic group. With his engineering background and the technology and expertise he acquired from racing, he established Bo-Dyn Bobsleds which manufactured the U.S. workforce much more competitive. Now, Geoff Bodine is quite associated in his neighborhood serving as a volunteer fireman and a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he is still associated in the BoDyn application and the Olympic Bobsled team.