THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508040624
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
He has returned to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway bent on ``a little vengeance.''
But Geoff Bodine said his vengeance is not aimed toward his brother, Brett.
``We came back to finish our unfinished business,'' Bodine said Thursday just before qualifying for Saturday's second annual 400. ``We really ran good last year, but we didn't have an opportunity to finish a race we thought we had a chance of winning.''
Geoff didn't finish last year because he was spun out by Brett in the fourth turn of the 2.5-mile track while leading shortly before the halfway point. Brett was retaliating for his brother's aggressive pass in turn three, which nearly made Brett spin out.
The incident between them in last year's inaugural 400, which knocked Geoff out of a race he was dominating, was the second-biggest story of the weekend, next to Jeff Gordon's victory.
``You can't change the past,'' Geoff said. ``You learn by it. We've lived with it for a year now. I knew there would be questions like this. But between Brett and I, it's long gone. We resolved that a long time ago, and hopefully learned a lesson.''
Said Brett: ``That's history. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. It's another year. We've had a lot of conversations over other things since then. We just worked it out between the two of us. We got through it as two adults, two brothers.''
The incident was the culmination of a months-long feud between them. Both said their relationship has improved, but they still are not close.
For Geoff, the Brickyard crash was not even the most traumatic event of last August. It paled in comparison with the shock he felt when his wife, Kathy, left him after the Bristol race in late August.
``Up to that point, (the Brickyard crash) was the most traumatic thing in my career,'' he said. ``And then my separation with my wife - I don't know if anything will ever top that one. But life is a constant challenge and a constant learning experience. Time heals those old wounds and those situations. Things are pretty well healed up. A race is a race. It doesn't mean anything compared to (the separation). You realize that real quick.''
IRVAN UPDATE: For Ernie Irvan, who was battling Jeff Gordon for the lead of last year's 400 until a tire went down with just a few laps to go, the big upcoming event is not this year's race, but his appointment with a doctor in San Francisco on Monday.
Irvan hopes his doctors will clear him to drive again.
Irvan has an interesting perspective on last year's disappointment in the 400.
``I look at it like that flat tire cost us a lot of money,'' he recently told Ford's Wayne Estes. ``The next flat tire I had cost me a lot more.''
The ``next' flat tire, of course, was the one in practice at Michigan two weeks after the Indy race that nearly killed him and put his career on hold.
TIDE STAYS WITH RUDD: Procter & Gamble has extended its Tide detergent sponsorship of Ricky Rudd and his Ford Thunderbird team to include the 1996 and 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup season, the team has announced.
The team has also added two more laundry-related entities as associate sponsors - Whirlpool and Downy fabric softeners.
Tide has sponsored Rudd since 1991.
NO WONDER BOY: After winning the Brickyard 400 pole Thursday, Jeff Gordon was asked if people were going to start to call him ``Mr. Brickyard.''
``I like that better than ``Wonder Boy,' he said. ``That one sounds much better.''
And on Wednesday, Rusty Wallace admitted the obvious about the young star, who is celebrating his 24th birthday today.
``Sure, everyone gets jealous when someone comes and blows your a-- off the race track,'' Wallace said, noting nonetheless that Gordon is a ``natural born good race driver.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Geoff Bodine, left, didn't finish last year's Brickyard 400 because
he was spun out by his brother, Brett, right.
by CNB