08.27.02_099_BOD_TRN_0074_1.jpg (43631 bytes)

Photo ID# 08.27.02_099_BOD_TRN_0072_1
Car #: #99
Driver: Geoff Bodine
Location: Trenton, NJ
Date: 1972?
Photographer: Ace Lane ( www.acelanephotography.com )
Photo provided by: 3-Wide
Provider's comments: Geoff Bodine had one of the coolest rides ever built. Rumored to have an independent suspension mounted on a Jeep International chassis. Who would have thought a Valiant could be so cool – AND FAST!.
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12/30/02 John Mc Bodine sat on the pole @ the All Star race @ Flemington w/ this car, made one lap & pulled out. Neat car, though.
12/30/02 3-Wide John, I'm not sure, but if that was a mid week show, that was probably the first night that I ever went to Flemington.  Only took one visit to get hooked, and   ended up going just about every Saturday Night from then on...
01/14/03 Bill Hanna It was definately a mid-week event, it was during the hey-day of teh "All-Star" Racing League when DIRT and ASPHALT drivers in teams of 3 would compete all over the east coast for honors. This was a brainchild of Larry Mendelson and Bob'O'Rourke of Riverhead Raceway in New York and was the predecessor to the Super Dirt Series. It was really neat to see ASPHALT DRIVERS on DIRT and DIRT DRIVERS on ASPHALT in the SAME CARS. Bill Hanna Easton PA
01/30/03 Kevin N Bodine brought this car to an All -Star race at WALL STADIUM and BLEW everyones doors off!!! Who was that guy?
03/22/03 Todd L If my memory is working this 99 was in the early days for Billy Taylor who would go on to field the Phil's Chevrolet Modified (Phil is Billy's Brother) # 1 on the DIRT series for numerous drivers including Jack Johnson, Doug Hoffman and even Geoff Bodine (DIRT Asphalt Challenge series). Billy later went on to work for Geoff in the Cup Series as a shock specialist, Wonder where he is now
04/11/03 Todd L Billy Taylor is Shop Manager for BACE Motorsports in NC BACE fields the #74 Winston Cup car for Tony Raines They have also won multiple BGN titles with Randy La Joie and Johnny Benson (Benson back to back in 96 and 97).
07/15/03 Rusty Creeden Don Krietz Sr. also had a Valiant body modified he ran at Reading in the early 80's
07/15/03 3-Wide I remember it well, and I think Dutch Hoag may have run a #7 Valiant at Langhorne in the early 70's too.
07/15/03 Rusty Creeden I believe there were quarter elepic springs also instead of coils.
12/26/03 Skip I worked with Geoff Bodine in late 70's on the Dick Armstrong/Hop Harrington #1 Modified, and with the exception of Hop in his early days Geoff is one the best damn modified drivers ever !!!  - Skip - Wrentham, Ma.
06/15/04 AJB Add a guy named Hank Dudley to the list of racers who had Valiant bodied modifieds. Hank was a regular competitor at Wall in the late sixties to early seventies era if I recall correctly. Checking the Wall program I see Dudley had 4 feature wins. The first was on 9/25/71 and the last was on 7/27/74. I used to sit by his wife in the stands. She was unabashed when it came to admitting that they copied the look of the car from Bodine's #99.
11/06/04 Kevin Newman Another Valiant....  mmm...PAT KEELLEY???...not sure on the spelling...a lot of guys ran his radiators...ran sportsman at WALL early to mid 70s...Blue #29?... NICE CAR...
12/02/04 Jerry H yea kev-pat keeley won the sportsman crown at wall in 72/yup #29-he acually owned the old tant/mitchell #11 coupe driven by ray hendrick in 75/76-guess he was thinkin comeback!-think stan whol? drove it later in sportsman-do rememeber it had chain steering!
12/15/05 Allen Clark Dick Clark also drove a Valiant bodied car owned by Ray Hedger. The car was raced primarily at Fonda. The car didnt last but only a few weeks after an accident in turn three destroyed the car.
04/15/06 Hugg Family The above "Valiant" was driven by Geoff Bodine and owned by Tom McLean.. Tom gave Geoff his big break in the Modifieds. Geoff also ran a Super Modified for Tom . The team had alot of success winning several track championships in New York state in the early 1970's. Geoff of course went on to greater racing fame winning NASCAR'S Daytona 500 and an IROC Championship.

Tom is now retired and living with his wife Gladys in Waverly, New York after raising a family of Five Children. If you wish to contact Tom his address is 128 Center Street. Waverly, New York 14892.
 12.30.10 Davemod44 "Hugg Family" (above) is right on the money Billy and Jeff hooked up on the famous Dick Armstrong No 1 modified and got the modified season wins record, of course of the other modified ace, who today still holds the consecutive wins record @ Seekonk Speedway of 13 Ralph Hop Harrington.
     
     
     
     

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