Todd Bodine celebrates his first Craftsman Truck Series victory of the season after two second-place finishes. Credit: AP

Third overtime finally a charm for Bodine
By Mike Harris, The Associated Press
March 20, 2006
09:07 AM EST (14:07 GMT)

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) -- A spectacular four-wide pass gave Todd Bodine the lead and the momentum to pick up his first victory of the season Friday night in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.


Mike Skinner's truck erupts in flames after colliding with another truck. Credit: AP

Bodine, who finished second behind Nextel Cup star and part-time truck racer Mark Martin in the first two events this season, losing both in overtime duels, was trailing Martin again with five laps to go in regulation in the John Deere 200.

But Martin caught the lapped trucks of Timothy Peters and Boston Reid on lap 126. The leader chose to pass on the low side of the 1.5-mile oval and Bodine made it four-wide, slicing between Peters and Reid.

Bodine nearly lost control, sliding sideways and banging off Peters at the top of the banking, while Martin and Reid also bumped on the low side. All of them were able to keep going, though, with Bodine coming out ahead.

Moments later, Peters, with a tire going down, crashed, bringing out the fourth caution flag of the race and forcing yet another green-white-checker overtime finish.

The race, scheduled for 130 laps, restarted on lap 134 and Martin shot to the inside, moving alongside Bodine and then nosing inches ahead. But, this time, Bodine, who finished last season as the hottest driver in the truck series, winning the final three races, was up to the challenge.

He led at the finish line, then shot ahead as Martin suddenly found himself having to fend off Johnny Benson in a battle for second. Martin won that duel but finished 0.022 seconds -- about two car-lengths -- behind the winner as several trucks crashed in the pack behind them. It was Bodine's eighth truck victory.

"There was no way I could let Mark Martin get outside of me on that restart," Bodine said. "My truck was so loose when somebody was out there. When he went inside, I said, 'Have at it.' That was what we needed.

"That's the Craftsman Truck Series at its best. Germain Racing, baby, we're here."

Martin, who plans to drive only three or four more truck races this season, said he wasn't surprised by the four-wide move.

"We were doing some racing," he said. "The chips were on the table and we were both going for it. It got kind of tense there just for a minute.

"This is the best racing I've done in years. I love this stuff."

Jon Wood finished fourth, followed by Ted Musgrave, who finished third in each of the first two events this season.

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Official Race Results
John Deere 200
Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 17, 2006
Race 3 of 25
Average Speed:
Margin of Victory: No Value
Time of Race: 01:33:31
Lead Changes: 12
Cautions: 32-35, 60-67, 94-97, 127-132

Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status Winnings
1 1 #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Lumber Liquidators 185/5 135 Running $59,425
2 10 #6 Mark Martin Ford Scotts Miracle-Gro 180/10 135 Running $30,600
3 17 #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Exide Batteries 165/0 135 Running $24,000
4 36 #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Team ASE/Germain Mtr Co. 160/0 135 Running $14,200
5 7 #17 David Reutimann Toyota Toyota Tundra 155/0 135 Running $17,225
6 6 #21 Jon Wood Ford Duck Head Footwear 150/0 135 Running $10,025
7 23 #16 Mike Bliss Chevrolet Xpress Motorsports 146/0 135 Running $9,925
8 3 #99 Erik Darnell * Ford Woolrich 142/0 135 Running $12,675
9 26 #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet Menards/Energizer 138/0 135 Running $13,250
10 20 #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Truck Corral 134/0 135 Running $12,800
11 4 #85 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet Shell ROTELLA T 130/0 135 Running $11,025
12 11 #10 Terry Cook Ford Power Stroke Diesel 127/0 135 Running $10,815
13 32 #77 Brendan Gaughan Dodge Orleans Hotel & Casino 124/0 135 Running $10,715
14 33 #18 Bobby Hamilton Dodge Fastenal 121/0 135 Running $10,615
15 13 #11 David Starr Toyota Red Horse Racing 118/0 135 Running $11,015
16 28 #15 Kyle Krisiloff * Chevrolet ditech.com/Krud Kutter 115/0 135 Running $10,415
17 12 #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Con-Way Transportation 112/0 135 Running $8,115
18 21 #75 Aric Almirola * Chevrolet Spears Manufacturing 109/0 135 Running $10,240
19 29 #08 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Dodge Corky's Ribs and BBQ 106/0 135 Running $10,190
20 25 #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick, Inc. 103/0 134 Running $10,540
21 35 #40 Chad Chaffin Chevrolet R.E. Garwood Electrical Contractors 100/0 134 Running $7,840
22 16 #50 David Ragan Ford Roush Racing PE 134 Running $7,790
23 5 #20 Bobby East * Ford State Fair Corn Dogs 94/0 134 Running $7,740
24 31 #25 Boston Reid * Dodge Woodard & Sharp Racing 91/0 134 Running $9,965
25 19 #59 Steve Park Ford Harris Trucking 88/0 134 Running $9,940
26 30 #98 Erin Crocker * Dodge Cheerios/Betty Crocker 85/0 133 Running $9,890
27 15 #106 Chad McCumbee * Chevrolet MRD Motorsports 82/0 133 Running $7,615
28 9 #29 Kraig Kinser * Chevrolet U.S. Army 79/0 132 Running $8,590
29 18 #22 Bill Lester Toyota Waste Management 76/0 132 Running $8,565
30 27 #1 Robert Richardson, II * Dodge WinYourMortgage.com 73/0 132 Running $7,540
31 34 #04 Scott Lagasse Jr. Dodge Dodge Hemi 70/0 129 Running $7,515
32 24 #07 Sean Murphy * Chevrolet Green Light Racing 67/0 126 Running $7,490
33 22 #4 Timothy Peters Dodge Dodge Motorsports 64/0 124 Accident $7,465
34 14 #13 Kerry Earnhardt * Chevrolet ThorSport Racing 61/0 115 Transmission $7,440
35 2 #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Toyota Tundra 58/0 60 Accident $7,410
36 8 #12 Joey Miller * Toyota Curb Records 55/0 58 Accident $7,380

* Denotes Rookie

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2006 Official Driver Standings
After: John Deere 200
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race 3 of 25

Rank +/- Driver Points Behind Starts Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 Winnings
1 -- Mark Martin 560 Leader 3 1 2 3 3 $176,660
2 -- Todd Bodine 535 -25 3 1 1 3 3 $161,775
3 -- Ted Musgrave 495 -65 3 0 0 3 3 $83,390
4 +1 David Reutimann 458 -102 3 1 0 2 3 $60,400
5 +4 Johnny Benson 433 -127 3 0 0 1 2 $56,715
6 -2 Jack Sprague 432 -128 3 0 0 2 2 $47,490
7 -1 Rick Crawford 423 -137 3 0 0 0 3 $49,475
8 -- Erik Darnell* 422 -138 3 0 0 0 2 $50,150
9 +1 Jon Wood 408 -152 3 0 0 0 2 $36,715
10 +5 Mike Bliss 389 -171 3 0 0 0 2 $36,490
11 -- Dennis Setzer 388 -172 3 0 0 0 1 $43,765
12 -- Terry Cook 382 -178 3 0 0 0 1 $43,130
13 +1 David Starr 366 -194 3 0 0 0 0 $41,795
14 -1 Bobby Hamilton Jr. 354 -206 3 0 0 0 1 $43,530
15 -8 Mike Skinner 340 -220 3 0 0 1 1 $52,500
16 +3 Matt Crafton 326 -234 3 0 0 0 1 $40,555
17 -- Bobby Hamilton 315 -245 3 0 0 0 0 $39,920
18 +3 Kyle Krisiloff* 300 -260 3 0 0 0 0 $36,520
19 -3 Timothy Peters 282 -278 3 0 0 0 0 $37,470
20 +6 Aric Almirola* 276 -284 3 0 0 0 0 $36,395
21 +9 Brendan Gaughan 270 -290 3 0 0 0 0 $35,593
22 +6 Ron Hornaday 264 -296 3 0 0 0 0 $36,855
23 -1 Bill Lester 257 -303 3 0 0 0 0 $35,170
24 -- Robert Richardson, II* 249 -311 3 0 0 0 0 $34,490
25 +2 Erin Crocker* 249 -311 3 0 0 0 0 $34,645
26 -6 Kerry Earnhardt* 246 -314 3 0 0 0 0 $35,345
27 -9 Joey Miller* 243 -317 3 0 0 0 0 $35,635
28 +6 Chad Chaffin 214 -346 2 0 0 0 0 $18,655
29 +4 Boston Reid* 207 -353 3 0 0 0 0 $32,941
30 -7 Brad Keselowski 181 -379 2 0 0 0 0 $25,880
31 -6 Stacy Compton 173 -387 2 0 0 0 0 $24,005
32 +4 Sean Murphy* 170 -390 2 0 0 0 0 $23,755
33 -4 Kelly Sutton 155 -405 2 0 0 0 0 $23,530
34 +3 Kraig Kinser* 152 -408 2 0 0 0 0 $21,455
35 +4 Chad McCumbee* 145 -415 2 0 0 0 0 $18,255
36 +2 Scott Lagasse Jr. 143 -417 2 0 0 0 0 $18,010
37 -6 Mike Wallace 140 -420 2 0 0 0 0 $23,300
38 -6 Kevin Hamlin 135 -425 1 0 0 0 0 $17,275
39 -4 Chase Montgomery 106 -454 1 0 0 0 0 $16,265
40 -- Bobby East* 94 -466 1 0 0 0 0 $7,740
41 -- Steve Park 88 -472 1 0 0 0 0 $9,940
42 -2 Eric Norris 58 -502 1 0 0 0 0 $10,420
43 -- David Ragan 0 -560 1 0 0 0 0 $7,790

* Denotes Rookie