NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine sits just six starts away from his 800th NASCAR national series start, and one of the largest voices of support for unsponsored drivers is prepared to step up in a major way.
Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World Holdings, Inc., is ready to pay up for the six races to get Bodine to his 800 starts but asks the fans to state their case.
The entrepreneur made his pitch via Twitter, teasing a potential reunion between New York driver and his Good Sam brand.
Hey @Team_Onion people say you are 6 away from 800 starts. I need 800 reasons from your fans to do this for 6 .. they must use #goodsamOnion pic.twitter.com/5ra46C7ghA
— Marcus Lemonis (@marcuslemonis) September 19, 2021
Bodine not only raced in the series bearing the name of Lemonis’ business but even raced the Good Sam colors during his time with Red Horse Racing in 2012 at Daytona.
Fans immediately rallied on social media to get the driver known as “The Onion” back into the driver’s seat in a series he long dominated. The pitch even caught the attention of other major names with NASCAR, including Kenny Wallace and Mark Martin. Lemonis claims he wants to see 800 reasons with fans utilizing the hashtag “#GoodSamOnion” to show their support.
Let’s do this #goodsamOnion https://t.co/ArCjvMUO8L
— Mark Martin (@markmartin) September 20, 2021
Because @Team_Onion is the real deal. I would go by his shop on Sundays and he would be outside washing his own @XfinityRacing car by himself in 1990. https://t.co/JQyfxtZ6ZM
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) September 19, 2021
The pitch appears to be working, with Bodine sharing on social media that competitors and ream owners are calling Bodine about the potential opportunity.
Wow. This is great !!! Getting calls from great competitors and team owners. Keep them coming https://t.co/fiU7ltgUGu
— Todd Bodine (Official) (@Team_Onion) September 19, 2021
Lemonis has invested a significant amount of money into NASCAR, especially during the 2021 season. Aside from the title sponsorship of the series, Lemonis took to social media to offer his brands of Camping World, Good Sam, and Overtons to any unsponsored entries at multiple tracks this season.
At Atlanta in March, Lemonis put his brands on a whopping ten entries in the series, including entries from GMS Racing and NIECE Motorsports.
UPDATES: Marcus Lemonis Sponsoring AT LEAST Another 10 Trucks in Atlanta
In the Truck Series, Bodine had a decorated career, scoring 22 wins in 220 starts and claiming two championship titles in 2006 and 2010. In addition, the New York driver recorded a top ten finish in 124 of 220 starts, helping to cement himself as one of the more dominant drivers in the series during the mid-2000s. Bodine also collected 15 Xfinity Series wins in 333 starts, including multiple top-five finishes in the season-ending points during the late-1990’s.
Regarding which possible organization, NIECE Motorsports could be a standout offering, with the team bringing back former names in the sport in recent years, including Trevor Bayne and Travis Pastrana.
Lemonis has yet to acknowledge the fan reception via social media. Still, if his track record is any indication, an official announcement regarding the starts may not be too far away.
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