Todd Bodine sits out finale with back injury

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Todd Bodine aggravated a bulging disk in his lower back when he crashed in Busch Series Bud Pole Qualifying Thursday, so his brother, Geoffrey, drove the No. 26 Discover Ford in Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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"I've had a flare-up in my back," Todd said. "I've had a bulging disk for a while but it hadn't bothered me in a long time. It's the exact same thing Ricky Rudd had."

Todd Bodine wore a corset-type back support when he drove in Saturday's Ford 300 Busch Series race. He fell out after 105 laps but said his back had felt progressively worse.

His older brother failed to qualify James Finch's Ford on Friday, so he was available to substitute.

Geoffrey Bodine finished 32nd, three laps down.

"We thought about me starting it, because I figured I could probably run half the race," Todd said. "But knowing I can't do the whole race, there's no sense to it. I'm not in it for points and in case something happens, or there's an accident --- we might as well just put Geoff in to start and give the team its best shot."

Ricky Rudd, who at the conclusion of last season had begun entertaining thoughts of retirement due to extreme back pain, had a procedure over the winter that cured his problem to the point he signed a three-year deal with the Wood Brothers team, beginning with next season.

Bodine will wait until Tuesday to begin making a decision on his next step.

"I've got a (doctor's) appointment Tuesday to go and get something done about it," Bodine said. "That crash in Busch qualifying on Thursday must've made it flare up and it's progressively gotten worse -- it's (pain) down to my knee, in my leg so that's not good.

"More than likely, the decision will be surgery. I'm figuring do the same thing as Ricky --- get it done now at the end of the season, because it will take six to eight weeks to heal up."