Who is the current pace car driver for NASCAR?

Pacing the Field: An In-Depth Guide to the NASCAR Pace Car

Hey racing fan! My name‘s Lillie and I‘ve been in love with NASCAR since I was a little girl watching the races with my daddy. Now I get to share my passion with readers like you as a contributor to 33rdsquare.com. In this guide just for you, I‘ll dig deep into everything you‘ve ever wanted to know about the fascinating role of the NASCAR pace car and driver.

Keeping Order: The Pace Car‘s Vital Role in NASCAR Races

When I imagine the start of a race, I see that pace car, don‘t you? The sleek, branded vehicle leading the rumbling pack for pacing laps. We fans don‘t always give it the attention it deserves, but the pace car is so critical to safe, fair NASCAR races.

Its main jobs are:

• Leading the cars on warm up laps before the green flag. This gets heat in the tires and brakes.
• Setting the field up for clean race starts. The pace speed prevents wheels spin and accidents those first seconds.
• Controlling the cars during caution periods when there‘s trouble on track. It bunches up the field until the hazard is cleared.

At up to 110 mph, the pace driver has huge responsibility guiding these million dollar rockets! One mistake could trigger chaos with 43 cars barreling from behind. Their skills keep those intense restarts and cautions running smoothly.

Behind the Wheel: All About Brett Bodine, Current NASCAR Pace Car Driver

That important pace car job falls to former driver Brett Bodine these days. The Chemung, NY native‘s been around racing his whole life as part of the famous Bodine family. He moved up to the Cup Series in 1986 and won twice over a decade plus career.

After retiring from full-time racing in 2003, Bodine put his mechanical engineering degree to work. He helped improve safety as NASCAR‘s Director of Cost Research from 2013-2018. He moved into the pace car role in ‘18, succeeding fellow former driver Dale Jarrett.

Here are some more fun facts about Bodine:

• Older brother of Cup driver Geoff Bodine. They‘ve both paced races over the years!

• Had a long partnership with Miss Winston as his sponsor. Who remembers those red and white cars?

• Still competes occasionally in Trucks, Xfinity, and his passion Modifieds.

• Known as one of the more technical racers for his engineering background.

Bodine brings so much expertise from all those years behind the wheel – no wonder NASCAR trusts him in that pace car! He knows every nuance of every track to keep fields in line.

Legendary Drivers Who Paced the Field

Brett‘s the latest to lead the pack, but so many icons have paced NASCAR fields:

Buddy Baker guided cars for nearly 20 years until his tragic death in 2015. His hot laps entertained crowds for decades!

Tiny Lund was a Daytona 500 champ who captured those dramatic pace car views in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Richard Petty did "The King" thing and paced races even long after his retirement right into the 2000s!

Dale Jarrett brought his veteran poise and wisdom to the role from 2014 to 2017.

And Brett‘s brother Geoff Bodine even took a turn for a while in the early 2000s!

The pace car‘s been in some incredible hands over NASCAR history. Their expertise guiding the field made for so many iconic moments we fans cherish.

Cranking up the Speed: What Powers the NASCAR Pace Car?

Now for what we really want to know – what‘s under the hood of that pace car!? They‘re always American muscle machines juiced up to keep ahead of the pack:

• Chevrolet Corvette: With over 500 horsepower, Chevy‘s iconic Vette has paced more miles than any car. The C7 Z06 revs to 115 mph!

• Ford Mustang: The legendary Mustang GT350 pace car hits 100 mph to tame the field thanks to its 5.2L V8.

• Toyota Camry: With 301 hp and a specially tuned TRD exhaust, Toyota‘s pace Camry provides both speed and reliability.

• Dodge Challenger: This modern muscle car paces in style thanks to its 475 horsepower Hemi V8.

I love seeing those production cars souped up. But we know the real NASCAR stock cars would smoke those pace rides! Bodine has to keep speeds controlled around 100 mph – no easy feat.

Notable Pace Car Crashes and Incidents

It‘s risky work pacing a pack of cars at nearly 200 mph. The pace driver has seen their share of wild wrecks:

• 2005 Daytona 500: Elliott Sadler slammed the pace car on pit road and injured Brett Bodine.

• 1995 Brickyard 400: Elmo Langley spun the pace car into the wall right before the start!

• 2012 Daytona 500: Juan Montoya plowed into a jet dryer truck under caution behind the pace car.

• 1996 The Winston: Richard Petty‘s pace car barrel rolled after tangling on a restart. The King was okay!

• Lots of collisions on pit road or light contacts with race cars at speed.

Just shows the extreme focus needed to control those horses. Any mistake can get very costly at those high speeds!

Earning the Right to Pace NASCAR‘s Best

So how do drivers get the coveted role leading the field? NASCAR wants:

• Many years of experience racing stock cars. Bodine had 16!

• Excellent reflexes and car control. Race cars really put those skills to the test.

• Ability to hit precise speed and lines lap after lap. Consistency is key with 40 cars watching you!

• Intimate knowledge of each track‘s quirks. Bodine‘s career spanned them all.

• Racing instruction background to help coach drivers. Bodine loves teaching!

• A clean record and reputation for discipline. No hot heads allowed.

• Personality to engage fans and media. Bodine‘s a great ambassador.

It‘s a small group who meet those standards. That‘s why Bodine‘s been the guy the past 5+ years – he‘s perfect for it!

Pace Car Procedures and Training

Before taking the wheel, drivers undergo specialized training:

• Practice hitting exact speeds set by NASCAR anywhere from 70-110 mph depending on track.

• Work on smooth acceleration for restarts without spinning the tires. Those cars want to stick like glue behind you!

• Repeat the same racing line lap after lap. No sudden moves that could trigger an accident.

• Get comfy transitioning between different pace car models from various makers.

• Learn the radio procedures to update officials on track conditions. Clear communication is a must.

• Study how to enter the pits or track safely to stay ahead of the field.

• Review light, siren, and camera equipment functions in the pace car.

It‘s an intricate job but the right training ensures everything goes smoothly when racing speeds approach 200 mph!

How the Pace Car Adapts Across NASCAR Tracks

The procedures shift a bit depending on the track:

Superspeedways (Daytona, Talladega):

• Pace speeds near 110 mph to stay ahead of the enormous draft packs.

• Any abrupt pace changes could cause a huge wreck. Steady and smooth is key.

• In-car cameras capture the view of cars racing 3-4 wide barreling toward you!

Intermediate ovals 1-2 miles:

• Muscle cars like Mustangs or Challengers pace these tracks. The V8s sound awesome on the straights!

• Speeds vary from 90-110 mph based on the track length.

• The high banking offers great visibility to the full stands. Gotta look good for the fans!

Short tracks:

• Much slower pace required for the tight confines. Keep it around 70 mph.

• Need precise inputs for narrow, flat short tracks. No room for error!

• The pace car‘s brakes and handling get tested at lower speeds.

Road courses:

• Tough to get heat in the street tires on pace laps. AWD helps deliver power off corners.

• Slower pace allows cars to pass safely. No flat out blasts into blind corners!

So while every track is different, Bodine‘s skills adapt the pace car to keep those fields orderly no matter what.

Pace Cars in Other Major Racing Series

IndyCar and Formula 1 also utilize pace cars:

IndyCar

• Often driven by past Indy 500 winners. How cool would that be!?

• Corvette ZR1 or Camaro ZL1 models handle the high speeds.

• Hits 140 mph to control the open wheel cars on massive ovals.

Formula 1

• Exotic supercars like Mercedes AMG GTs or Aston Martins for marketing buzz.

• The driver is a celebrity, not a pro racer. I‘ll take Bodine‘s experience!

• Much slower speeds than NASCAR since F1 cars idle behind them.

NASCAR‘s pace cars just look meaner and more powerful to me keeping that rowdy pack in check!

Hear It from the Drivers:

NASCAR racers have total respect for the pace car team controlling cautions:

“It’s tougher than it looks to hold that precise speed each lap. We appreciate how Brett Bodine handles it.” – Martin Truex Jr.

"I‘ve seen the pace car have to check up or swerve to avoid crashes. You‘re on your toes." – Brad Keselowski

“The pace car is like a shepherd – they keep us racers from going astray!” – Kyle Busch

“When it takes off before a restart, you know it‘s wild action next.” – Denny Hamlin

It‘s clear NASCAR stars appreciate how the pace car brings order to those chaotic restarts!

Fun Pace Car Facts for NASCAR Fans:

• "Pace car" came from it setting the pace for the field back in the ‘50s.

• Richard Petty‘s pace car had the steering wheel on the right side to match his racing preference!

• Chevy has paced the most miles thanks to durable Vettes and Camaros.

• Drivers point to their wrist to warn of car issues via radio.

• In 1970, Tiny Lund hit a record 170 mph pace speed to get Cale Yarborough‘s attention when he kept racing under yellow!

• Janet Guthrie was the first woman pace driver at the 1977 Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. Girl power!

• Sponsors love the TV exposure before green flags and out of cautions.

• Fans, winners, and celebs get pace car rides for an awesome high speed lap!

Now you‘ve got all the pace car knowledge to wow your friends at the track. Let me know if you have any other burning questions – I love talking NASCAR!