rpm.espn.com: Brett Bodine

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Friday, December 20
Updated: December 23, 12:07 PM ET

Brett Bodine
By Jerry Bonkowski
ESPN.com

Team: Bodine Racing
Car/sponsor/make: No. 11 Hooters Ford

Brett Bodine
Bodine

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Best finish

2002 36 0 0 0 13th, Talladega (Spring)

Career 1 16 61

2002 recap
The good: As the last independent driver/owner on the circuit, Bodine struggled in 2002. But despite having less funding than most teams, he still managed to make the field in 32 of 36 races. What's more, Bodine finished 27 of his starts, bowing out early only five times, four of those due to crashes, and surprisingly only once due to mechanical failure.

Season highlight: When you finish 36th and fail to claim a top-10, highlights are sparse. Even so, Bodine had two shining moments in 2002. He began the season with a 16th-place finish at the Daytona 500, and followed that up eight races later with a season-best 13th-place showing in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Ala.

The bad: Bodine recorded the worst full-season effort he's ever had, finishing 36th. What's more, for the fourth time in the last five seasons, he failed to record a top-10. In the tradition of now-retired Dave Marcis, expect a determined Bodine to again be running his own show next season. And, given that Bodine's team spent time in a wind tunnel this past week and plans on testing in Lakeland, Fla., right after the start of the new year, he's obviously serious about improving his lot from last season.

Season lowlight: Consistency was Bodine's biggest problem in 2002, with an average starting position (32.6) that was worse than his average finishing position (30.7). As hard as he tried, he just could not manage to sustain any continuity. Bodine's worst outing was at Indianapolis, where he started 42nd and finished 42nd, completing only 11 laps before being knocked out by a crash.

Brett Bodine
Unlike most teams, Brett Bodine is on a limited budget and doesn't have money -- or cars -- to burn.

Key stat: That Bodine qualified for 32 events with his limited resources speaks highly of his ability. What's more, with the hiring of Jon Wolfe as crew chief late last season, and with Wolfe already committed to returning for 2003, look for improvement in Bodine's performance. While he may not win a championship, with a few breaks and some good fortune, he could finish in the top-25.

2003 outlook
What needs to be done: Consistency is an intangible that Bodine has little control over. But if he can attract a bit more sponsorship that will allow the team to loosen its purse strings and get better equipment. That, along with Wolfe spending his first full season as crew chief, could translate into a comeback year for Bodine.

Prediction: While he still has a long way to go to become very competitive, Bodine is a veteran who is much better than his recent record indicates. If he didn't have to worry about anything other than driving -- like paying the bills -- he could make it into the top-15, much like when he finished 12th in 1990 and 15th in 1992 as a hired gun for team owner Kenny Bernstein. If he can attract more sponsorship to get better equipment and additional personnel, Bodine could finish in the top-25.

Your take
Can Bodine continue to survive -- and possibly succeed -- as a Winston Cup driver/owner? Here's what our users had to say.

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