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Bodine Accepts Tug-of-War Challenge Prior to Truck Race at LVMS

Todd Bodine says his Germain Racing Team is ready for war. Tug of war, that is. Following Saturday’s post-race ruckus between the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams of Bodine and David Starr at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway offered a more peaceful way for those involved to flex their muscles and settle differences: a tug-of-war in the infield prior to the start of Saturday evening’s Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350.

During a press conference today at ESPN Zone in Las Vegas, LVMS president Chris Powell produced a regulation-size tug-of-war rope adorned with the numbers 30 and 11 (Bodine’s and Starr’s Truck numbers) at opposite ends and good-naturedly offered it to the warring parties.

“I’m sure NASCAR would rather have you guys pulling on a rope than pulling on each other,” Powell quipped. Several on-track incidents during the Sept. 13 Camping World RV 200 at Loudon, N.H., between the Germain Racing and Red Horse Racing teams sparked a scuffle on pit road after the checkered flag was thrown. The pit-road rumble resulted in a hail of fines, suspensions and probations for both teams.

Grinning, the Chemung, N.Y., native clutched the hefty hemp and accepted on behalf of his crew. “My team heard about this,” Bodine replied. “They saw the press release or however it got out. They’re all in – they’re all up for it. Now you’ve got to talk the 11 team into it, the bunch of wimps that they are,” Bodine joked. “I’m gonna put the challenge out for the 11 team out there. It’s out there. We can find time before driver introductions. We can do it right out there in the (infield) grass in front of the grandstands.”

Tickets for Saturday’s Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350 – which may or may not include a pre-race tug-of-war – may be purchased by calling the LVMS ticker office at (702) 644-4444 or online at www.LVMS.com.