With two months to go before the start of the Nextel Cup season, Todd Bodine is again without a ride in NASCAR’s top division. The BelCar Racing team he drove for in 2003 closed up this week after it lost sponsorship from the Army National Guard at the conclusion of the season. The Guard, along with BelCar associate sponsor Subway restaurants, announced Wednesday that they will move from BelCar’s #54 car to the #16 Roush Racing Ford driven by Greg Biffle. Sam Belnavis, the only racial minority owner in NASCAR, will join Roush Racing as a partner and as Roush’s director of diversity programs. “We really got our act together towards the end of the year,” the youngest of the three Bodine brothers said Wednesday from his home in Davidson, N.C. “We ran a lot better than our finishes. It’s just a shame that we’re not going to be able to continue it.” Bodine’s uncertainty about where or what he’ll be driving is a familiar situation for him at this time of year. “It’s pretty much the same as last year, except that I did have a Busch (Series) ride,” Bodine said. “Everything is way up in the air right now.” BelCar Racing was formed late last year by Belnavis and Travis Carter after Carter lost his sponsorship with Discover Card. Now, Bodine and Carter hope to team up next year with the #26 car if they can get the sponsorship. “I’ve had some preliminary (sponsorship) conversations,” said Bodine, who met with representatives of two companies earlier this week. “It takes three or four meetings just to get some good interest from major corporations. I think that we are going to get invitations back.” Bodine has driven for Carter in the Cup series the past three seasons. He finished 31st in points this year, with one top-10 finish. Bodine said that returning to Carter Racing Enterprises is “pretty much my only option” for next year. “Three months ago, if I would have pursued it, I could have had another job, but I chose not to,” Bodine said. He has joined a growing list of drivers without rides. It includes Johnny Benson, Jimmy Spencer, John Andretti, Steve Park, Hut Stricklin and Dave Blaney. Finding sponsorship could be difficult, though. Even some high-profile teams are finding it rough going. Just this week, Dale Earnhardt Inc. closed the book on its #1 car [down to a part time schedule – not closed]. A dozen other Nextel Cup teams are still looking for a primary sponsor for the 2004 season. “The problem is that it’s so late that it really makes it hard to find a good sponsor,” Bodine said. “I’ve got a lot of connections in the New England area and I’ve got Travis’ marketing people doing the work.” As for a possible return to the Busch Series, where Bodine has had some success, he said he doesn’t have any leads.( Elmira Star Gazette )(12-13-2003)
