Well, let me tell ya ’bout this fella, Geoffrey Bodine. I ain’t no fancy writer or nothin’, just gonna tell it like I see it, ya know?
Geoffrey Bodine, that’s his name. Born way back in 1949, April 18th to be exact. He’s one of them Bodine boys, the oldest of three. Him and his brothers, Brett and Todd, all racin’ fellas.
Now, Geoffrey, he wasn’t just any racer. He was a big deal, a real NASCAR legend, they say. Drove them cars real fast, won a bunch of races too. Folks say he was somethin’ else behind the wheel.
I heard tell he drove for some big shot owners, fellas like Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, and Rick Hendrick. Musta been good if them fellas wanted him drivin’ their cars. He raced a whole heap, 565 starts they call it, and won 18 times! Said he won near 16 million dollars too. That’s a whole lotta money, more than I ever seen in my life.
But racin’ ain’t all sunshine and roses, ya know? Geoffrey, he had his share of scrapes. One time, I heard, he had a real bad wreck. Flipped his car nine times! Nine times! Can you imagine? Folks thought he was a goner for sure. But he was tough, that Geoffrey. He walked away, thank the Lord.
- He drove for the best
- He won lots of races
- He had a real bad wreck
This wreck, it was somethin’ fierce. Happened durin’ a truck race, they say. His own brother, Brett, was leadin’ the race, but Geoffrey had the faster car. He passed Brett, but then Brett bumped him, and all heck broke loose. Thirteen other trucks got caught up in it. A real mess, it was.
Now, Geoffrey, he’s retired now. Ain’t racin’ no more. But he’s still got stories to tell, that’s for sure. He even wrote a book, they call it an autobiography. Means he wrote about his own life. He tells all about his racin’ days, the good and the bad. And I hear tell it’s a good read, even for folks who don’t know nothin’ about racin’.
He calls the book “All of It.” Guess that means he tells everything. From when he was just a young fella startin’ out, all the way to when he hung up his helmet. I reckon he’s seen a thing or two in his time.
It’s funny, you know? Geoffrey, he was such a big star, but he ain’t in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Can you believe it? Folks say he should be, but them Hall of Fame folks, they ain’t put him in yet. Geoffrey, he don’t seem to mind too much. He says he don’t think he’ll ever get in, and that’s okay with him.
Geoffrey Bodine, he’s a racer, a survivor, and now, an author. He lived a life most folks can only dream of. Fast cars, big wrecks, and lots of winnin’. And now he’s sharin’ it all with the world. Good for him, I say. Good for him.
Some folks say his book is real good, that it tells the whole story, not just the racin’ part. It talks about his faith too, and how that helped him through tough times. Guess that’s why they say even Christians wanna read it, to hear “the rest of the story,” as they put it.
And it ain’t just racin’ fans either. Geoffrey, he wants everyone to understand what racin’ is all about. He figures his book can teach folks a thing or two. And maybe it can. I ain’t read it myself, but I heard it’s pretty good.
So, that’s the story of Geoffrey Bodine, as best as I can tell it. A racer, a builder of bobsleds, imagine that! A man who lived life in the fast lane, and ain’t afraid to tell about it. He’s retired now, but his story keeps on goin’. And that, I reckon, is somethin’ special.
