Yes, you saw that right. 61-year-old Geoff Bodine has signed on to race for the largest U.S. Legends purse in grassroots racing history. Bodine will compete in the Legends million at Charlotte Motor Speedway July 15-17 behind the wheel of the Florida Alzheimer's Association car.
Bodine has an illustrious NASCAR career that includes 18 series wins, including the 1986 Daytona 500 and 1982 Rookie of the Year. The event will feature Legend car Series regulars as well as up-and-coming drivers in a 100-lap dash for the cash. The only other auto racing series that compete for a $1 million prize is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide and IndyCar Series.
The main event will be nationally telecast on SPEED TV on July 17, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The telecast will include the entire live A-Main race as well as highlights from Thursday and Friday night's racing action. The winner of the A-Main event will pocket $250,000 with the final spot assured $10,000.
For the Legends Million, Bodine's race car will showcase his commitment to helping those in need. Bodine's car will carry a special paint scheme for the Florida chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and Bodine has pledged to donate his entire prize winnings to help the organization.
"The only way my friends got me to agree to run in the Legends Million was is I could give the money to a charity," Bodine said. "I've been involved in a lot of charities over the years and want to influence people who do good things. I hope we're able to help those affected by this terrible illness."
Bodine's first experience in a Legend Car came in 1997 in a celebrity race. His son, Barry Bodine went on to win the series championship that year. Bodine's final Sprint Cup Series win came in August 1996 in the "Bud at the Glen." Bodine raced in his final Sprint Cup Series race in 2004 at the MBNA America "A Salute To Heroes" 400 at Dover.
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