Truck series to replace IndyCar at WGI
On that day Bodine finished fifth and he hoped that he hoped to carry the momentum over to the next year and come back and try and win at the track.
Things didn't work out exactly as planned and nine years later Bodine still hasn't raced again at the famed track.
On Tuesday he made an appearance at the track to help announced $3 million in renovations to the track for fans, but he had one other thing on his mind.
"Being a local boy coming back her, it's nice to see the track doing this," Bodine said. "Now, we've got to get the trucks back up here."
With the track losing the IndyCar series race, there is an opening for another big race, and the truck series is something track president Michael Printup would like to see in 2012.
"He (Bodine) and I have been beating on NASCAR's door about it," Printup said.
For Bodine if the truck series was brought to the track, it would mean he might finally get a chance at that first victory.
"I have always run well at Watkins Glen, but I have never got to celebrate in Victory Lane," he said. "Geoff is the only one of us to have done it."
Of the three racing Bodine brothers, Todd, Geoff and Brett, Geoff was the lone winner at the track, taking the title in 1996.
"Getting to Victory Lane here would be crazy," Todd Bodine said. "It would mean everything."
After winning the past two truck series titles, Bodine believes he is in a good spot in his career right now and would have a great chance on his home track.
"It's been awesome," he said of the past two seasons. "I have worked my whole career to get to this point. To win a championship was awesome. To back it up with a second title was amazing."
For Bodine there haven't been many chances to come back home because of the busy schedule with the truck series.
"Coming back home is awesome for me," he said. "I don't get a chance to come back to the Valley and see my family I have there very often."
And he didn't get the chance again this trip to be home for an extended visit. But, he knows if the truck series came to the track, that would change.
"I came here two years ago for the NASCAR Cup race with my owner and I didn't get to spend any time here. '03 was the last time I got to spend any time. I got here last night and am going right back tonight. I would love to come back to race here and get to spend a week back up here."
Bodine wasn't the only driver in town for the announcement as road racing ace Boris Said also made the trip to town, and he agreed with Bodine that a truck race at Watkins Glen would be exciting.
"I hope you bring the trucks back too," stated Said. "I want a piece of Todd."
Said knows how exciting the truck series could be at the track.
"The truck guys are crazy," he said. "They are the only series to see their numbers increase. Congratulations to Todd on winning his second championship." Daily Review