BODINE TALLIES TALLADEGA TRIUMPH FOR SECOND VICTORY OF 2007Bodine started from the pole and led twice for a race-high 46 laps Saturday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway in the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra en route to his second victory of the season - and 10th for Toyota - in the 88-lap Mountain Dew 250 on the 2.66-mile Alabama track.
A late-race caution yielded a two-lap shootout in which Bodine made his No. 30 Tundra as wide as he could, holding off Rick Crawford and Johnny Benson to the checkered flag to win by a slim 0.014-second margin.
"I can't believe it," said Bodine, following the race. "I have run so many races here and have been in the same situation in the end and never got it done. I always got shuffled out or something happened. We just had a great truck. To win the pole and to win the race shows how great these guys on the team are. I'm the lucky guy that drives it."
Bodine's first victory of the season - also from the pole - came at Texas Motor Speedway in June.
The win (35th) and pole (46th) for Toyota came in just its 95th race since joining NCTS competition at the beginning of the 2004 season.
Benson wound up third in the No. 23 TCUV Tundra for Bill Davis Racing, followed by Jason Leffler in the No. 1 Red Horse Racing Tundra. It was Leffler's first NCTS start since 2004.
Benson narrowly escaped trouble on Lap 75, when he made contact with then-leader Jack Sprague's No. 60 Con-way Freight Tundra, which had slowed on the frontstretch. Sprague, who led four times for 30 laps, went spinning into the oncoming traffic, collecting a handful of fast trucks, setting up the late-race drama.
In addition to Sprague - who wound up 27th - Tundra drivers Ted Musgrave (25th) and Terry Cook (28th) were caught up in the incident.
Mike Skinner (nine laps led) finished 13th in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra, in what could have been a feast or famine race for the Bill Davis Racing team. Running third late in the race, a loose hood pin caused the hood to flap violently on the No. 5 Tundra, forcing NASCAR to 'black flag' Skinner, which would have caused him to lose the lead pack and struggle to finish on the lead lap. A separate incident on the track, however, allowed Skinner to come to pit road for repairs under caution, enabling him to salvage a top-15 finish.
Ron Hornaday finished seventh, retaking the points lead from Skinner by a 14-point margin with five races remaining on the NCTS schedule. Tundra drivers Bodine (fourth), Benson (fifth), Musgrave (seventh) and Sprague (10th) are also in the top-10 in the point standings after Talladega.
Tundra drivers Mike Wallace (17th), Josh Wise (23rd) and Jacques Villeneuve (30th) were also in the field.
The next race on the NCTS schedule is October 20 at Martinsville Speedway.
Toyota Finishing Positions @ Talladega Superspeedway
1st, TODD BODINE
3rd, JOHNNY BENSON
4th, JASON LEFFLER
13th, MIKE SKINNER
17th, MIKE WALLACE
23rd, JOSH WISE
25th, TED MUSGRAVE
27th, JACK SPRAGUE
28th, TERRY COOK
30th, JACQUES VILLENEUVE
Toyota Drivers in NCTS Point Standings - following Talladega Superspeedway**
2nd, MIKE SKINNER 3,193 points
4th, TODD BODINE 2,945 points
5th, JOHNNY BENSON 2,831 points
7th, TED MUSGRAVE 2,474 points
10th, JACK SPRAGUE 2,339 points
14th, TERRY COOK 1,121 points
**unofficial point standings
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