04/29/06
"T 'n T" Are Dynamite at Gateway International Raceway

When Todd Bodine and reigning series champion Ted Musgrave joined up at Germain Racing for 2006, it had many in the Craftsman Truck Series garage thinking "Dream Team." At Gateway International Raceway, the dynamic duo lived up to that billing with a 1-2 finish.

It was an impressive performance by both drivers who led early and then stormed through the field after they made off-sequence pit stops with 50 laps to go. From mid-pack, Bodine charged through traffic with Musgrave in tow. A cluster of late race cautions gave the teammates time to regroup between runs and that turned out to be bad news for David Reutimann, who led at the time.

On a restart with 13 laps to go, Bodine got a run in the outside lane and swept past Reutimann while Musgrave followed into second. A final caution set up a three-lap run to the checkers and Bodine easily held on for his ninth career victory and second of the season. "How about this Germain Race Team?" Bodine exclaimed as both teams gathered for the celebration in Victory Lane. "I am so proud of this group of guys. They work as one team with two trucks on the track and it showed up tonight."

Musgrave's season has been the picture of consistency with no finish worse than fourth through the first five races of the season. "Todd was just a tick better than me and I couldn't get him at the end," said Musgrave. "It was another top five for me and another win for Germain - so a really good night again."

Reutimann held on for third to snatch his best finish in three starts at the unique speedway. "In my rookie year I would have blocked and I would've been in the fence to keep those guys behind me," Reutimann noted. "I've matured a lot and I'm racing smarter. We're looking at the big picture."

That big picture, of course, is the championship point standings and with Mark Martin down in Talladega tending to his Nextel Cup duties, Bodine took over the lead for the first time in his Craftsman Truck Series career. Musgrave held onto second just 15 points behind his teammate while Reutimann climbed from fourth to third. Martin fell from first to fourth, 132 points behind the new leader.