ALEXANDER: A Different Title Run

Camping World Trucks

ALEXANDER: A Different Title Run

Todd Bodine’s beefy points cushion allows him to go into Martinsville and Talladega...not having to worry about what can go wrong...

Adam Alexander | Posted October 22, 2010 Martinsville, VA

Adam Alexander is the host of the SPEED Center show. (Image: SPEED)

Todd Bodine appears well on his way to a second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, but the way he is getting there differs greatly from his 2006 championship … and that’s nothing but bad news for the competition.

As if Bodine’s 262-point lead wasn’t enough of a punch to his competitors’ gut, this year’s championship run finds Bodine in a much stronger and more confident place than four years ago. If he can make it out of Martinsville and Talladega in one piece, he should all but lock up this year’s top spot.

As far as his 2006 title year and this season’s bids go, the previous edition was much more anxiety-filled down the stretch for the No. 30 Germain Racing team than the current one. Back then, the points were tight and the competition was breathing down Bodine’s neck, leaving no room for the Germain squad to falter. Not so this year. In fact, “The Onion” currently holds the largest points lead in series history with five races remaining.

However, that grueling, stressful experience helped lay the foundation for the team’s 2010 success and their ability to make it look easy. Bodine’s bunch had to wait out a couple of years of disappointing results to get to this point, and I think those subpar results motivated them. There is a renewed mentality within that organization starting at the top and running from Mike Hillman, Sr. to Mike Hillman, Jr. to Bodine and all the way down. Their expectations are nothing less than race wins and championships, and they truly believe they can overcome any adversity. Confidence within that squad is better than ever before and they have proven they’re nearly invincible.

Bodine’s beefy points cushion allows him to go into Martinsville and Talladega, two of the biggest wild cards on the schedule due to the probability of being swept up in a wreck, not having to worry about what can go wrong.

Todd Bodine continues to lead the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Sometimes a team or driver’s mentality can get them into trouble at places like these, but the No. 30 team doesn’t really have to worry about the “what-ifs” because they can afford a disaster or two by virtue of their points lead. When teams continuously devise game plans to avoid trouble, I think they are more prone to find it.

His points position also enables him to go into Martinsville full steam ahead and holding nothing back – more bad news for those chasing him. Aric Almirola, the driver second in points who has been nipping at Bodine’s heels this year, isn’t the aggressive type who will put a lot of pressure on the guy in front of him. He is an excellent driver with an outstanding crew chief, but it’s not Almirola’s MO to try to rattle other guys. Unfortunately, his tendency to be less aggressive might play directly into the hands of Bodine, who has nothing to lose by going all-out.

And this is Bodine’s championship to lose, although I think that is unlikely. He can’t clinch the championship at Martinsville, but if he leaves there with a top-10 finish, even if he loses points to Almirola or third-place Johnny Sauter, that will be the proverbial nail in the coffin for the competition because the No. 30 team then can charge into Talladega, where he flat dominates, and go after it like they usually do. To add insult to injury, he is the king of the mile-and-a-half tracks and we just happen to have Texas and Homestead waiting in the wings. My best guess, though, is that we’ll know long before Texas who the 2010 Truck Series champ is … and his name is Todd Bodine.

A fulltime reporter for SPEED in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Adam Alexander also hosts NASCAR in a Hurry, The SPEED Report and NASCAR Race Hub for the network. He also worked for Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network prior to joining SPEED.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Alexander

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

CUP: Waltrip Reflects On Phoenix Incident
The owner of the Clint Bowyer car that was wrecked by Jeff Gordon…
ALEXANDER: Bowl Games, NASCAR-Style
Upon initial observation, you couldn’t find two sports more…
ALEXANDER: Believe It Or Not
The 2010 season resembles the closest thing to The Twilight Zone…