By GENARO C. ARMASAP Sports Writer
LONG POND, Pa. − Geoff Bodine has high hopes for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in six years.
Just qualifying for Sunday's Pocono 500 isn't enough for the 1986 Daytona 500 winner in his bid to make a comeback.
“Deep inside me, there's one thing I would like to do. This is a stretch, I know,'' Bodine said after practice Saturday at Pocono Raceway. “I'd like to be the oldest driver to win a NASCAR cup race. ... I'm only 61.''
That distinction currently belongs to Harry Gant, who was 52 when he won at Michigan in 1992.
“There's no age limit, so why not? There's no restrictions, so why not,'' Bodine said. “I really have nothing to prove, it's really not about that. I need (racing), I need it to be happy.''
Bodine, who overcame a fiery crash in a Truck Series race in 2000, hasn't run a full Cup schedule since 1999. He's mostly known these days for helping design the four-man bobsled that won a gold medal for the U.S. at the Vancouver Olympics.
Bodine said after practice Saturday that he adheres to a healthy diet to stay sharp. He said he eats one full meal a day, and otherwise stays energized by taking in nuts and a nutritional drink called MonaVie, for which he is also a distributor.
“I feel good, my mind is working good. I feel like when I drive a car, I can relate to the crew better about what to do ... better than I could back in the 1990s,'' he said.
Bodine failed to qualify in two races last year, though he did finish 26th in a trucks race at Atlanta in March. He finished 39th in his last Sprint Cup series race, at Dover in 2004.
While he has high hopes for a victory Sunday, Bodine knows the challenge will be steep for his Tommy Baldwin Racing team. On a one-race deal, Bodine has acknowledged he likely won't finish the race since the car is without sponsorship and has been mostly a start-and-park operation.
Bodine hopes to find a sponsor and serve as a spokesman to baby boomers like himself, so a respectable showing Sunday could give him a big boost.
“By qualifying, we just showed people, I'm not washed up,'' he said, “I haven't lost my nerve.''
GORDON DISAPPOINTED: Robby Gordon believes his struggling Cup program will be back despite another setback this weekend at Pocono.
Gordon hired veteran Ted Musgrave to get his No. 7 Toyota in the field for Sunday's race, hoping he could make it back from the Baja 500 in Mexico by the time the green flag drops.
Instead, Gordon spent the weekend south of the border after Musgrave's qualifying speed of 164.456 mph wasn't good enough to get into the 43-car field.
Gordon admitted he was “disappointed'' in the outcome but applauded Musgrave's efforts.
“Despite missing the race, Ted and team made a valiant effort to get the No. 7 into the race,'' he said. “I believe that all successful companies go through times like this.''
Gordon is in his sixth year as an owner/driver, but consistency has been elusive. He has just one finish inside the top 15 this year and he slipped out of the top 35 in owner points following last week's race in Charlotte, forcing him to go through qualifying to earn a spot in the field.
HAMLIN'S FANTASY: Denny Hamlin added a new driver to his fantasy racing lineup in advance of Sunday's Pocono 500.
“I go into every week (expecting) to win, the only difference is I just put myself in the fantasy team this week,'' Hamlin joked when asked if he has higher expectations at the Tricky Triangle. “That's the difference.''
Good move, Denny.
Hamlin has three Sprint Cup series victories in eight career Pocono starts going into Sunday, including a victory last August at the Pennsylvania 500, the second of the two annual series races at Pocono Raceway. He also has two other top-five finishes.
Races at the 2.5-mile track often hinge on fuel strategy, though Hamlin says he can't pinpoint why he's had so much success.
“Maybe I'm just conserving my car and that's the way I do it every week, is conserve the car to the end and when we really need it,'' said Hamlin, who will start fifth Sunday. “I really don't know the answer. If I did, I would tell my teammates.''
Hamlin was quick to point out that not every race has gone his way at Pocono. His car sputtered into the garage two laps into the June 2009 race because of a broken fuel pump, and he finished 38th.
“It's either really good or really bad for us here,'' Hamlin said.
WAITING FOR BABY: Jimmie Johnson is hoping the daughter he and wife Chandra are expecting holds off until the mid-July due date.
If his little girl opts to come early, like say during the race at Daytona on July 3 or in Chicago on July 10, things could get interesting. Really interesting.
The backup plans include having Aric Almirola at the ready in case Johnson needs to leave in a hurry.
“The first goal for me would be to drive a lap and get some points,'' Johnson said. “But it just depends on the situation. There could be a situation where I've got to make a tough decision.''
Or not so tough according to crew chief Chad Knaus, who told Johnson there was ``no way'' the four-time defending series champion was going to miss the blessed event, even if it means Johnson has to skip a race.
The competitor in Johnson, who is seventh in the standings heading into Sunday's race, hopes it doesn't come to that.
“I'm like, 'I appreciate that but let's focus here and make sure we can cover all the bases if it's possible,'' Johnson said.
TWO-TIMING EDWARDS: Carl Edwards' schedule is about to get even busier.
This weekend starts a run of three straight weekends of double-duty racing for Edwards, a full-time driver in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.
Edwards was scheduled to run the Nationwide race Saturday night at Nashville after practice at Pocono, then fly back to Pennsylvania in time to climb into his No. 99 Ford for the Pocono 500 on Sunday afternoon.
Edwards said he feels good about his chances during double-duty weekends.
“When we get to these races where we go back and forth, I do feel better about it,'' Edwards said. “Maybe subconsciously I know we have done well.''
Edwards is 11th in the Sprint Cup drivers standings, 59 ahead of 13th place to stay in the Chase top 12. He's fourth in the Nationwide standings.
“Sometimes I believe that showing up with no expectation makes it simpler,'' Edwards said about his affinity with multiple-race weekends. “I like the summer stretch with the hot weather and slippery race tracks, so maybe that is what it is.''
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