View source for Geoff Bodine Racing

{{short description|Former NASCAR team}}
{{Infobox former NASCAR team
| name          = Geoff Bodine Racing
| logo          =
| owners        = [[Geoff Bodine]], [[Checkers and Rally's|Jim Mattei]], [[John Porter (business)|John Porter]]
| series        = [[Winston Cup]], [[Craftsman Truck Series]]
| wins          = 7
| drivers_champ = 0
| numbers       = 7, 07
| manufacturer  = [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]
| drivers       = [[Geoff Bodine]], [[Tammy Jo Kirk]], [[Dave Rezendes]], [[Barry Bodine]]
| sponsors      = [[QVC]], [[Exide Batteries]]
| base          = [[Mooresville, North Carolina]]
| opened        = 1993
| closed        = 2000
}}
'''Geoff Bodine Racing''' (also known as '''GEB Racing''') was a  [[NASCAR]] [[Winston Cup]] and [[Craftsman Truck Series]] team. It was owned and operated by former NASCAR driver [[Geoffrey Bodine]] following his purchase of the estate of [[Alan Kulwicki]].<ref name= "announcement">{{cite news |last=Zeller |first=Bob |url= https://www.greensboro.com/announcement-expected-to-be-made-today-bodine-reportedly-buys-kulwicki/article_f3638356-3f10-53d7-902c-89a260d42506.html |title=Announcement Expected to Be Made Today\ Bodine Reportedly Buys Kulwicki's Racing Team |work=[[News & Record]] |date=May 10, 1993 |access-date=June 21, 2020}}</ref> He remained owner of the team until the 1998 season, when he sold the operation to Jim Mattei and John Porter. Through the chain of succession, the team's final owner was [[Robby Gordon]].<ref name= "owner">{{cite news |last=Pearce |first=Al |url= https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20000912-2000-09-12-0009120048-story.html |title=Owner Bessey Fires Geoffrey Bodine; He'll Finish the Season As the Driver |work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |date=September 12, 2000 |access-date=June 21, 2020}}</ref>

== Winston Cup ==
In [[1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1993]], Bodine, who was driving for [[Bud Moore Engineering]] at the time, decided to become an owner-driver. Earlier in the season, then-defending Winston Cup Champion [[Alan Kulwicki]], who owned and drove for [[AK Racing]], was killed in a [[Alan Kulwicki plane crash|plane crash]] as the Cup Series made its spring trip to [[Bristol Motor Speedway|Bristol]].

Bodine was able to raise enough money to purchase the assets of Kulwicki’s former team from its caretaker, [[Felix Sabates]], who had been providing financial backing so the team could continue running. However, he immediately ran into a problem as Kulwicki’s sponsor, [[Hooters]], pulled out of the team immediately after Bodine took ownership. Undaunted, Bodine signed [[Freeform (TV channel)|The Family Channel]] to be the sponsor for the remainder of the season. After The Family Channel moved over to [[Roush Racing]] for the next year, Bodine got [[Exide Batteries]] to sponsor his effort in [[1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1994]]. Bodine won three times that year but finished 17th in points. He also won the [[1994 The Winston Select|1994 Winston Select]]. He almost won the inaugural running of the Brickyard 400 before he got into a controversial incident with younger brother [[Brett Bodine]] where Brett wrecked Geoff out of the lead; Geoff responded by publicly announcing to the press that he and Brett were feuding in their personal lives. Two weeks later, Geoff's wife moved out of the house and filed for divorce, resulting in a downward spiral for Bodine. Later that year, Geoff won at North Wilkesboro which was the last time the race winner lapped the entire field. Bodine improved one spot better in [[1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1995]], although he struggled in several races and went winless. Bodine would later publicly admit that his ongoing divorce was impacting his ability to drive competitively and made several changes to the racing operations.

In [[1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1996]], after Exide moved to Roush, Bodine ran with [[QVC]] sponsorship and scored his final win at [[Watkins Glen International Raceway]]. He struggled in [[1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1997]], failing to qualify in a couple of races, and having his brother [[Todd Bodine|Todd]] fill in for him at the [[Coca-Cola 600]]. Despite this, he won two poles in the last two months of the season, including one that broke the track record at [[Atlanta Motor Speedway]].

In [[1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1998]], he sold part of his ownership to Mattei and Porter, and picked up sponsorship from [[Philips]]. When Bodine got an offer to drive for [[Joe Bessey]] in [[1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|1999]], he sold the rest of his team and was replaced by [[Michael Waltrip]], as the team switched to [[Chevrolet]]. Finishing 5th in the [[Daytona 500]], Waltrip finished the year 29th in points. Getting sponsorship from [[NationsRent]] in [[2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|2000]], Waltrip's only top-ten finish that year was a 3rd at [[Martinsville Speedway|Martinsville]]. He left at the end of the year for [[Dale Earnhardt, Inc.]] and [[Mike Wallace (racing driver)|Mike Wallace]] took over, while the team switched back to Ford.<ref name= "Blink">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Steven Cole |url= https://www.motortrend.com/news/stream-blink-of-an-eye-a-documentary-michael-waltrip-dale-earnhardt-and-nascar/ |title=Stream 'Blink of an Eye,' a Documentary About Michael Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, and NASCAR, on the MotorTrend App Starting Now! |work=[[Motor Trend]] |date=February 4, 2020 |access-date=June 21, 2020}}</ref> During the 2000 season, the team was sold to [[Ultra Motorsports]].

== Craftsman Truck Series ==
Bodine Racing began racing in the new Truck Series in [[1995 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series|1995]], when Bodine drove ten races in the No. 7, with Exide sponsorship. He shared the ride with [[Dave Rezendes]], who raced eleven times that season; together, they combined for fourteen top-ten finishes. Bodine's son [[Barry Bodine|Barry]] drove the No. 07 [[Tanya Tucker Salsa]] truck at Martinsville, but he crashed out. Rezendes raced the No. 7 full-time in [[1996 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series]] with QVC sponsoring, and he responded with three victories and a sixth-place finish in points. Bodine and Barry drove the 07 in six races, but only had one pole and top-ten.

Due to a lack of sponsorship, Rezendes was let go after two races in [[1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series|1997]]. [[Tammy Jo Kirk]] took his place with Loveable sponsorship, becoming the first full-time [[List of female NASCAR drivers|female driver]] on the circuit.<ref name= "lights">{{cite news |last=Rockne |first=Dick |url= https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970510&slug=2538375 |title=Tammy Jo Kirk Won't Dim Her Lights -- First Woman In Truck Series Breaks Ground |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=May 10, 1997 |access-date=June 21, 2020}}</ref> She had a best finish of 11th, but was let go late in the season, and Barry Bodine finished out the season. The team closed in 1998 due to a lack of sponsorship.

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=bodinge01 Geoff Bodine owner stats]
*[http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=matteji01 Jim Mattei owner stats]

{{Geoff Bodine Racing}}
{{Ultra Motorsports}}
{{AK Racing}}
{{Bodine family}}

[[Category:1993 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Companies based in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Defunct NASCAR teams]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in North Carolina]]
[[Category:2000 disestablishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Bodine family]]