Brett Bodine
A NASCAR driver turned official, he uniquely experienced the sport from the blistering heat of the cockpit to the controlled pace of the safety car.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American racing driver·Birthday: January 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brett Bodine grew up in a racing dynasty in Chemung, New York, the middle brother between Daytona 500 winner Geoff and Truck Series champion Todd. He cut his teeth on the modified circuits, earning a reputation as one of the best short-track drivers before moving to NASCAR's national series. His driving career was solid if not star-studded, capturing five wins in what is now the Xfinity Series and nearly winning its championship in 1986. For over a decade, he battled in the Cup Series, often as a driver-owner, a grueling financial and competitive endeavor. His deep understanding of the cars and the rulebook led to a second act with NASCAR itself, where he became the official pace car driver, a role that placed his familiar face at the front of the field for every start.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brett was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brett Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Brett's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished as runner-up for the NASCAR Busch Series championship in 1986.
- Won five races in NASCAR's Busch (now Xfinity) Series during his driving career.
- Made 480 starts in NASCAR's premier Cup Series as a driver and driver-owner.
- Named one of the 50 greatest NASCAR modified drivers of all time.
Did You Know?
He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University at Buffalo.
For many years, he drove the official pace car for every NASCAR Cup Series race.
He is the only one of the three racing Bodine brothers who did not win a NASCAR national series championship.
His first Cup Series start was at Dover in 1986, substituting for his brother Geoff.
“We built our own cars and raced them; that's how we learned.”
