While working for Rick, Brett found time to make a handful of modified starts in 1985 and won the most prestigious event of the season, the Race of Champions at Pocono. The 1985 season also saw Bodine make his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the #15 Pontiac at Bristol. The small team did not have a pit crew and had to do the whole race on a single set of tires but Brett managed to qualify 7th and finish 12th in his debut race. Brett's breakout race in NASCAR came when rain forced a scheduling conflict between the Xfinity race at Martinsville and the Cup Series race. Geoff Bodine (who was driving full-time for Hendrick in the Cup Series)  was scheduled to drive in the Xfinity race and Brett got the chance to drive Rick Hendrick's #5 Pontiac as a last minute fill-in.  Brett started second and won the race in only his second career start. This was the first win for Hendrick with the Levi Garrett sponsorship and resulted in Brett getting funding from Levi Garrett to run 11 additional races that season. Brett's under the lights win at Bristol win was the first Xfinity series race to be televised live in prime time. By the end of the 1985 season Brett had made thirteen starts with three poles, three wins, 7 top fives, and 10 top tens.