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An original 3.5x5" vintage photo (NOT a modern reprint) from the Marty Himes estate.
Provenance: This photograph comes directly from the Marty Himes Racing Museum Collection, assembled over decades by Marty Himes - racer, restorer, and lifelong archivist of American racing. Every piece he preserved tells part of the story of motorsport’s rise from dirt tracks to the spectacle of the Indy 500. We acquired the majority of his photo collection after his passing. Many of his photos are extremely rare or even one of a kind.
Photo Overview
Geoff Bodine poses proudly in victory lane after winning the Modified Budweiser 200 at Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York on Saturday, September 5, 1981. Wearing his driving suit and a Goodyear cap, Bodine is draped in an enormous laurel wreath and stands beside a towering multi-tier trophy that nearly matches his own height, a striking image that captures the pageantry of short track modified racing in its heyday.
This photograph was taken by noted track photographer Karl Kammerer and comes from the Marty Himes Racing Museum Collection, assembled over decades by Marty Himes, a lifelong racer, restorer, and archivist of American motorsports history. This is an authentic piece of grassroots racing history from a pivotal moment in the career of a future Daytona 500 champion.
Historical Notes
At the time of this win, Geoff Bodine was already one of the most dominant drivers on the Northeast modified circuit, having built his reputation on tracks like Oswego, Riverside Park, and Stafford Springs before making the jump to NASCAR\'s top division. His victory in the Budweiser 200 at Oswego was part of a string of modified triumphs that cemented his reputation as one of the sport\'s premier short track talents.
Just five years after this photo was taken, Bodine won the 1986 Daytona 500 driving for Hendrick Motorsports, becoming one of the most successful drivers to transition directly from modified racing to NASAR\'s Winston Cup Series. He went on to a long and successful Cup career, later owning his own race team, and became part of a celebrated racing family alongside brothers Brett and Todd Bodine. In February 2000, Bodine survived a horrific, fiery crash at Daytona International Speedway during a Craftsman Truck Series race, an event that shocked the racing world and led to significant safety improvements in NASCAR competition. He remains a respected figure and commentator in motorsports today.
Browse our complete Oswego Speedway photograph collection.
Condition
Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo. Many of the photos in this collection are very old and have age related wear, chips, creases, curling, etc. Others are remarkably well maintained.
