Geoff Bodine Saved Hendrick Motorsports
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Geoff Bodine sits down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mike Davis on The Dale Jr. Download and tells the story of how Rick Hendrick paired him with a very southern crew chief, Harry Hyde. The effort fizzled quickly and Hendrick told the team they were out of money and shutting the doors. They were done. But Hyde convinced Hendrick to give them one more chance. Bodine talks about the Martinsville win that spring boarded his success and saved Hendrick Motorsports.
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I believe Harry’s exact words were “Bodine, you’re a prick & a prima-donna but I love Rick more than I hate you.” Lol now that is old school. RIP Harry
Who would have ever thought an Earnhardt would be interviewing Geoff Bodine LOL!!!!!! I love it, great interview!!!!
Brings back good memories of those exciting races, so much fun picking at the Bodine friends and family, being a Earnhardt fan
They TPed him. Hahahhahaha
Go to Bristol this weekend and see some real racing
Dang it, I wish this entire interview was televised for TH-cam! The stories Geoff Bodine tells about his multiple on-track run-ins with The Intimidator are the stuff of historical NASCAR LEGENDS.
Dale Sr. and Bodine had some legit heat back in the day.
My favorite thing about history is the off-hand decisions, coincidences and unintended consequences that totally change the course of world events. In NASCAR, that Martinsville win fits that description perfectly. It's really impossible to imagine the sport without HMS in it the last 4 decades. As a dedicated HMS fan, a huge thank you to Geoff and Harry for saving the company.
Dude wasn't intimidated by Sr.
Yeah i can list anybody i can think of who actually stepped up to Dale's intimidation
Darrell Waltrip
Geoff Bodine
Bill Elliot
Rusty Wallace
Jeff Gordon
etc, etc
@@DixytheGoat9and still better
Geoff Bodine, Chemung, NY…skip and a jump from Watkins Glen and Dale Jr my two all time favorites. How the hell is Geoff not in the NHOF…
imagine how NASCAR would’ve looked if Hendrick just disappeared back then…
just think how all those titles, wins, drivers, and records wouldn’t have been with HMS
Even beyond that, would Days of Thunder been made? That movie brought a LOT of attention to the sport. Without that would it have been as popular.
Dang........did hell freeze over or what? LOL. Love these old stories, and no matter how well you knew a driver or not, the majority of them played some role in the EXCITING ( and often fateful ) chain of events ( both on and off the track, and in the garages & shops ) that would create what is now the fantastic history of our once beloved sport. That excitement for the most part, is now long gone from cup racing, unfortunately. When highly seasoned & unsung hero's like Dave Marcis even says so, it's hard to deny it. Most of the young fans today ( who I feel sorry for, ) just don't understand what guys like me WHO KNOW......are talking about. They don't comprehend how the huge corporate sponsors with all their influence through money caused the greed that would heavily influence the way everything is done today in cup racing, which spiraled totally out of control to create the fiasco it has become today: "the NFL/NBA on wheels". BOTTOM LINE: MONEY & GREED LEADS TO TOTAL CONTROL THAT RUINS EVERYTHING........and that's the damned truth. This is why Dale Junior's podcast & interviews with ALL of the veterans is so precious to me. Their stories of what happened both in public and behind the scenes proves my point.......time and time again.
Bodine went on to win at Nashville and Riverside that year. Won another three races at Martinsville. Won at all three road courses and three wins at Pocono so defintely a roader! Oh and btw, finished 9th in points in '84.
Y’all HAVE to have him back on, and you HAVE to talk about his days at short tracks, specifically modifieds. Would love to hear what he has to say about the battles with Evans and the whole group of guys that ran in the late 70’s and 80’s. Was a good download guys enjoyed it👍🏼
He’s like Ken Schrader. With his career, where do you even begin asking questions?! I guess we’ll read it in “that soon to be, maybe never to be released book!”
I totally agree! He is definitely a legend! And as you said, just his modified days are worthy of a book! That Valiant bodied modified, the crazy finish at Martinsville with Richie Evans, his days on dirt at the Syracuse mile, etc.. Lots of talent! And then there’s Olympic bobsled business…….!
Mitch Drew..he was definitely a hella wheelman..regardless of whether you liked him or not...when he started running LMS full time in '79-80 something..he built a car(yeah he could build them too)with Emanuel Zervakis at EZ's Richmond shop where he would be teammates with Sonny Hutchins...the white #99 with ..this car became a legend..according to Butch Zervakis..in its first 22 starts, it won 20 of 22 races..the other 2 were DNFs..I saw one of those DNFs at South Boston Speedway..a blown engine..and many of those 20 wins..the 'White Tornado' #99 Grand Am was an absolute beast in the mid Atlantic LMS division with Bodine on the wheel🏁🏁
@@gregminter6393 Remember those days well! How many drivers in any division in 2022 could build a car from the ground up? Guess I’m a retro race fan, because anything past about 1995 is of no interest to me!
@@gregminter6393 yep the white tornado was an absolute stellar car and a great looking one at that. And he could build cars almost as good as troyers, hence him starting Chassis Dynamics. He’s such an interesting character, I think he’s gotta be near the top of the list of guests who need to return
The veterans were always friendly to me until I started beating them.
One of the coolest things that ever happened was the second time I got an autograph from Geoff Bodine.
Chemung Speedway had an old-timers night and we went down there mostly just to go to that track, as it had been closed for a long time in the past. Unbeknownst to us, among the people they had in signing things and helping with a charity auction, was Geoff, Brett and Todd.
After all their commitments were done, they came and sat in the stands like everybody else. I wasn't even going to bother them but there was an extended red flag for a crash, so I bought a Daytona 500 vanity license plate from one of the stands and they each were kind enough to sign it.
i been to chemung 2xs my parents tok me once. wish i knew now what i known then and went more as a kid. i would love to meet all 3 of them. i have a trading card with them boys on it. im from nearby elmira so i am a local native to them. n i was a gordon fan growing up dont rem many drivers besides sr, jarrett, labontes, r petty, k petty, n few others i was all gordon haha.
When Bodine showed up with an AeroCoupe at Daytona for the 1986 race...and won it...people were furious, especially the Ford and other GM divisions. And I don't blame them.
And we would have never had the Days of Thunder movie.
Geoff Bodine gave Hendrick its first ever Daytona 500 win in 1986. My first time watching Nascar on TV at a young age. Love that #5 Levi Garrett Monte Carlo Aerocoupe.
MY HOMETOWN AREA DRIVER, along with Todd & Brett Bodine! Proud Chemung county native! I want him in the NHOF!
As a New Yorker it’s pretty amazing how he made motorsports’s most successful race team happen
fellow native of his home area. NY proud!
I grew up in Central NY and when I was a little kid I went to Spencer Speedway in Williamson, NY and watched Geoff race.
Hiring Tim Richmond soon afterward didn’t hurt Rick Hendrick either…
@@SouthernSkeptic went to Spencer Speedway as a kid. Loved the figure 8 races. Drags too.
@@robertmcgrath2972 I have to admit I don't remember much I was pretty young.
"YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE WAS AN ACTUAL STRIPPER????" 🤣🤣 I love this show.
I always liked Bodine when he & Dale Sr was going at it on the track. He was a pretty good ole racer & that 5 car was usually up towards the front. Miss those days of hard racing…..
My dad grew up with Geoff in Chemung, NY. They used to call him Jethro Bo-DINE
Geoff Bodine Is A Legend
He was a legend in New york and New England before he went to NASCAR, I watched him race at Riverside in Agawam Massachusetts
I remember watching Bodine race at Riverside in Agawam Massachusetts almost 40 years ago. He was from the southern tier of new york state.. Riverside was made a NASCAR track around 1960
Thats so cool that Days of Thunder was based off of real people and real events. Makes me view the movie differently now.
Listen to the Dale jr podcast with Will Cronkite,they talk about the making of the movie Stroker Ace, with Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson !!
@@clintwill8715 Thanks! Will do!
I'm guessing that Bodine beating out Earnhardt senior in the 86 Daytona 500 didn't help matters much.
Jr, followed your dad for many years since around 78, 79. As a young kid going to Daytona. These stories and the drivers you have on kind of put peices of the puzzle together. I learn so much from your podcast. And a lot of it brings back memories. Thank you for your direction on the podcast. Enjoy it all.
This is for sure a "Back In The Day". Dale Jr., it is amazing as young as you are how much you like nostalgia and how much history you know. Completely unique. Loved this!!!
Fact .. Geoff was a great great driver. Things were very different back then. Great rivalry with Sr. Thank you guys for getting him on . Let's get Cale . Before long.
I watched Geoff Bodine as a kid in 70s on upstate NY race tracks, is my all time favorite drive. Loved the story's thanks 👌👍😎
I love this story! It happens so often in life in business. Just about when ready to give up, something huge happens that turns the corner and brings success. Never give up!
Dale used to run old Jefrow Bo-dean into the weeds a lot back when Nascar was still fun to watch.
Geoff Bodine was a great driver and had he not languished the last 7-8 years of his career driving his own shitty equipment he'd be much higher regarded
I'm from Geoff's hometown area although I never met him over the years till I moved to Mooresville and ran into him at Duckworth's and had a nice visit. He had been retired for many years by then (2010 ish) I was a fan of his and of the old Nascar. I'm 65 and used to love watching every Race every lap.
hello fellow chemung county native. im from elmira 10mins from the bodines hometown too. id love to meet all 3 of the bros.
@@MissRailfan I'm actually in Bradford county just over the line below Elmira. I did meet all three when I lived in Mooresville. Mooresville is Race City home of Nascar. I ran into them at different times at Lowe's Hardware along with many other drivers. It was interesting living amongst the Nascar population. I have many story's but two of my favorites are when I visited with Buddy Baker in Lowe's parking lot and met Ricky Rudd at the local mountain bike park and had a nice visit with him.
Hey neighbor in a way. Love Bradford county my mom n grandparents was born in Bradford county. Thats awesome
I love listening to the guys I grew up watching. Great job!
I had a lot of respect for Harry Hide!
Followed him since I was a child watching him race at Thompson speedway and Stanford springs. Brilliant man. if it wasnt for dad knowing "wild" Bill Slater he would be my favorite driver.
OMG. He's finally on here! Can't wait to get home and watch this one!
I would love to hear Tim Brewer on the podcast. The stories would be great.
I like that paint scheme on that car
Vodine says your dad didn't fall out Bobby Allison didn't fall out , then the very next thing u see is Earnhardt getting lapped because of damage. LMAO.
The Man brought Power Steering into Nascar, And that is one heck of a ring on his left hand.
I ran 52% rear weight in my late model. That’s what the books said to do back then. But for 30 lap feature, it worked. Car would get loose and fast towards the end of the race and I’d have to crank front brakes in it as laps wound down to keep from getting loose on entry. But won some races!
He might have saved Hendrick but it was Kenny Schrader who made Hendrick. I don’t how many times Kenny dominated the races and would blow up with an R&D car.
You don't have a clue what the hell your talking about. By the time Kenny got there Hendrick was a power house, my god buddy, when Kenny drove for them his teammates where Darrell Waltrip and Ricky rudd who both won many races and tim Richmond and won several raced in rick Hendrick cars. Kenny did have bad luck I believe through out his nascar career but he dam sure didn't make Hendrick. If I was you I would delete because it's obvious you don't have a clue like I said
Geoff Bodine is the reason i got into NASCAR cant remember the race but he got into a two race bumper car fight with somebody spinning each other out at 200 mph! about 25-30 years ago. and they both got hauled into the NASCR trailer and came out with the threat of suspensions and i said man these guys are nuts count me in.
Loved the Sr, Bodine battle at Riverside road race
….1987 pass in the dirt
If Dale Sr didn't have his strong relationship with RC he was probably going to be Hendricks 1st Cup driver, #5 Wrangler Monte Carlo then #5 GM Goodwrench Monte Carlo then Lumina... I always felt like Hendrick had more resources and better cars & support from GM so Earnhardt may have won more races & probably at least 1 more Winston Cup...
So I honestly have a lot of sympathy for Geoff on Harry Hyde. I raced from 4-25yrs old and worked with a lot of crew chiefs 25-40yrs older than myself. THEY WOULD LITERALLY BE SUCCESSFUL IN 1960-1980 doing one thing. Well by the 1990s & 2000s the stuff was outdated the cars were completely different and they would be complacent as complacent can get. So I would try to respectfully explain the situation and they were RIGHT FIGHTERS. Rarely I think I had 1-2 crew chiefs that were older that kept up with the cars and times. The rest of them I could do everything to explain it but they would get defensive and take it personally even though it’s not anything to get offended over. So I completely understand how frustrating that would be for Geoff being I’ve lived it. I think Geoff handled it like an adult, Harry was just complacent. -- the best drivers I’ve ever seen ended up failing because they didn’t keep up with the car. Like pull down shocks took out a bunch of old drivers In the 90s.
Sounds like harry hyde saved hendrick motorsports
I wish that you 2 guys could have seen Geoff race late models at chemung speedrome and modified at shangri la speedway.
He was really good.
I spent my youth watching him race
Dale Sr. was the biggest POS to ever race on the NASCAR circuit.
Geoff Bodine should be in the hall of fame
He was my favorite driver him and dale Sr made it interesting at all times
Had the pleasure of seeing Geoff Bodine at the Chemung Speedway or Shangri La race with the locals...not sure which back in the mid 80's. He was an up and coming NASCAR star and was super nice to everyone there. I was going to stand in line for an autograph, but he had to leave and get back to Watkins Glen. Always liked him.
Does anyone know what the giant red ring is from?
Geoff Bodine's a millionaire as well. Bodine's name is as much Nascar, Winston Cup as the Earnhardt's, Waltrips, and Petty's.
Geoff looks like he's doing pretty damn good for 72 years old. Great hearing these old stories.
I hope the dirty mo team does something SPECIAL for the 500th episode and the 1,000 episode as well
Loved watching Geoff run modifieds at Thompson, Stafford and Seekonk. Always a threat to win. People say Evans was the best, but Bodine was pretty darn good! He belongs in Nascar Hall of Fame.
and
I named my son after Geoff Bodine 32 years ago because he didn't let Dale Push him around. I respected that.
Damn, I thought I hated Geoff Bodine, not now! What a story! Jr. is the best at this NASCAR podcast stuff.
Now I wish we could hear from The Intimidator himself. What a story that would be!
Thanks, Jr.!
Never knew that about the stripper! Man, this is stuff you just cant get anywhere else! Good job guys!
Great interview. I have really enjoyed all the Dale Jr. podcasts. Jr. has developed excellent interviewing skills and of course has access to celiberties that would be difficult to get on most podcasts. This is a great show if you have any interest in racing and the rich history of NASCAR including, but not limited to the legendary Intimidator.
6:45
I've always wondered how TG Sheppard was involved with Folgers, because forever the Folgers cars were always referred to as TG Sheppards Folgers Racing Team
I saw Geoff's second victory that season at Nashville, but I didn't know this story.
That #5 car was bad fast
Did you really have an rc car with Bodine's body on it growing up? Like the one in the movie "3"?
Man, this podcast really makes you appreciate the history of racing. Wish I could find something like it for other sports
Go Geoff Bodine!
These old stories are great. Love the look on Jr. and Mikes faces while he was telling the stripper story.
im wearing the crew shirt from when geoff ran the cascar race at cayuga around 2000 my dad was his crew chief that weekend
He took the first win of the organization at Martinsville and the day after, the team got a sponsor!
Did his best work in Dick Armstrongs modified.
Damn...does Mike not listen?
I can see how a lot of drivers had trouble with Geoff. Seems like a turd! I wish Davey had got him back.
I don’t think so.
Bill Clinton saved Hendrick when he pardoned him....and the rest is history....
Great times!!!
When a wrecked can't out it you always looked see what bodine caused it.
Bodine was a nasty driver. He was either loved or hated. He was so dirty he even made his brother crash. He also cheated.
I am with Richard seeing a Bodine on the track pisses me off
He’s hard to like
Another reason to hate Geoff Bodine, he’s the guy that kept slick Rick in business.
Bospin brothers.
Never could stand this guy. Just seemed so phony when they interviewed him before or after races.
Todd Schlicher, maybe you disliked Geoff Bodine because he wasn't intimidated by the "intimidator" one bit?
@@sergeantmasson3669 Nah, neither was Tim Richmond, and I was a big fan of his.
I thought he seemed genuine after races. Especially in his thanks to the team circa 94/95. I thought he was a bit of dick up to then, but changed my view.
He never gave thanks to the guy that gave him a shot in mods.
Maybe he did during the entire podcast. Not saying he did, but this video is only a fraction of the entire interview, of course.
@@howabouthetruth2157 I meant over the years. Dutch Hoag helped him alot in the early years, only to ignore him later on. Even at the hall of fame induction.
@@timlathrop4119 That's interesting to know, thank you. ( But I still wonder if he drops any names in the entire podcast. I'm about to listen to the whole thing tonight, as I usually do. ) I never followed Bodine before his cup career, and I wasn't a Bodine fan at all........even though I was a total nascar cup racing fan ever since they first started airing only part of the races on TV back in the early 70's. I'm from Alabama & Florida, so I never knew much about the racers who came from up North and the mid-west. I know they came to race all over the South and won a lot of races, but I simply didn't follow their careers, like I did ....say, the Allison's. Cheers.
@@howabouthetruth2157 Hopefully he might give credit. My dad was in Dutch 's pit crew and even was there when he finished 2nd in Daytona in 69 in the Saturday race. He was probably the next best modified driver next to Richie Evans, both sponsored by B.R. DeWitt
@@timlathrop4119 That's cool. Sounds like your dad had a fun life.
Still can't stand bodine