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Todd Bodine led the final 89 laps at Nashville.
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Todd Bodine led the final 89 laps at Nashville.

Bodine rolls at Nashville, increases points lead

By Sporting News Wire Service
August 9, 2010
12:13 PM EDT
type size: + -

LEBANON, Tenn. -- Todd Bodine cemented his hold on the Camping World Truck Series point standings with a dominant victory in the Nashville 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday night.

And he may be getting in the heads of his closest pursuers.

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Nashville

Results
Pos. Driver Make
1. Todd Bodine Toyota
2. Austin Dillon Chevrolet
3. Aric Almirola Toyota
4. Timothy Peters Toyota
5. Johnny Sauter Chevrolet

"We did it in the style of Germain Racing: Went out and just stomped on them," said Bodine, who led 91 of the race's 150 laps and increased his points lead to 174 over second-place Aric Almirola, the second largest with 11 races to go.

The victory was Bodine's second of the season and first at the 1.33-mile concrete track southeast of Nashville.

After the race, all Almirola could do was shake Bodine's hand -- and his own head.

"I told Todd when I went to Victory Lane, 'When it's your year, it's your year,'" Almirola said. "I have a flat tire and I end up knocking the fence down and ruining a race truck and finishing 30th. He has a flat tire and is able to get to pit road, stays out, and everybody else has to pit under green -- and he's like one of three trucks on the lead lap. How do you race against that?"

Bodine won his first pole of the season and led the first two laps before Timothy Peters took over. Bodine's No. 30 Toyota slid back in the order, and he eventually pitted for a flat right-rear tire under the race's second caution.

Bodine restarted 15th but caught a break laps later when another yellow flag flew after most of the other leaders had made green-flag stops. That put him back on top, and he eventually pulled away to a 4.16-second victory.

"That's part of winning championships: You've got to have that luck, that golden horseshoe everybody talks about," Bodine said.

But the veteran driver isn't about to start celebrating his second Truck Series championship yet.

"No, not really. It can be lost," Bodine said. "You can never count anybody out. Racing, you never know what's going to happen. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing every week. If we take care of what we do and don't worry about everybody else, we'll be just fine."

Under the yellow where Bodine got back the lead, the race saw a somewhat comical moment after Mario Gosselin and Joe Aramendia got together. After Gosselin got out of his damaged truck, he flung a piece of hose at Aramendia, who was still running under yellow.

Rookie Austin Dillon finished second, with Almirola third, Peters fourth and Johnny Sauter fifth. Sixth through 10th were Ron Hornaday, Matt Crafton, Brian Ickler, Justin Lofton and Ken Schrader.

News-n-Nuggets

• Todd Bodine posted his 19th career Truck Series victory in his 154th start.
• Todd Bodine is the fourth multiple winner in 2010: Kevin Harvick (three); Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch and Bodine (two each).
• Todd Bodine won from the pole for the fourth time.
• Todd Bodine is the seventh driver to win from the first starting position this season.
• Todd Bodine scored his first victory at Nashville in his seventh race.
• Todd Bodine is the ninth driver to win at Nashville.
• Germain Racing posted its 20th victory, all but with Bodine.
• Austin Dillon scored his seventh consecutive top-10 finish.
• Aric Almirola posted his 10th top-10 this season, but lost 25 points on the leader.
• Timothy Peters led 57 laps but finished fourth for the third consecutive time at Nashville
• Johnny Sauter posted his sixth top-five this season but fell one spot to fourth in points.
• The race had three different leaders and three lead changes, both tying records for the fewest at Nashville.
• Powered by Racing Recall

The End

Also

Camping World Truck Series

Standings
Pos. +/- Driver Points Behind
1. -- Todd Bodine 2,188 --
2. -- Aric Almirola 2,014 -174
3. +1 Timothy Peters 1,956 -232
4. -1 Johnny Sauter 1,955 -233
5. +1 Austin Dillon 1,900 -288

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