Sylvania 200 - September 17, 2005
New Hampshire Int'l Speedway - Loudon, NH

The No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra team was up in the northeast this weekend hoping to continue on their hot streak.  Going into the 200-lap event Johnny Benson and his 23 Bill Davis Racing team was knocking on the door of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series top ten.  The team knew Benson knew how to get around the one-mile oval and was confident they would have a strong finish. 

In the two practice sessions on Friday the team had one of the strongest trucks on the track.  Benson told his crew he was a little tight in the center of the corners.  Rick Ren and his crew worked hard to make the correct changes in hopes it would give them an opportunity for a win.  The team made small chassis and spring changes working to dial the truck in for the race.  At the end of the second and final practice Benson was seventh on the speed chart.  Benson commented after the sessions, “I think our truck is good.  I think that if we stay out of trouble we will bring home another good finish for Bill Davis Racing and Toyota Certified Used Vehicles.”  

In the Saturday morning qualifying session Benson knew it was important to put his Tundra in the top 15.  The Magic Mile is a tough place to pass and track position is very important.  Benson went out late in the time trials, which was to the team’s advantage.  Benson qualified his flamed Tundra in the 11^th position with a time of 30.000 seconds.  After the session the team felt they had a solid truck and were looking for another top-ten finish. 

At the start of the 200-lap event Benson was on the move.  In only ten laps Benson broke into the top ten running in the ninth position.  He called Rick Ren saying the truck was both tight and loose, but felt his truck would come in. 

On lap 24 Benson radioed to his crew, “It feels like the right rear is doing a lot of work right now.  I think we need to make a trackbar and air pressure adjustment to help get us to the front.”  By lap 50 Benson had his No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra in the eighth position, but was running times as good as the leader. 

When the caution came out for the second time on lap 55 the 23 took advantage of the slow pace and brought Benson down pit road for service.  The team changed four tires and filled their truck with fuel.  The team also made a number of chassis and air pressure adjustments to try and tighten the truck up for driver Johnny Benson.   

When the race went back to green on lap 60 Benson found himself in the 16^th position.  He was again on his way back to the front.  By lap 100 the 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra was back in the top 10.  He told Ren his truck was still really loose and had little side bite. 

The team made their second pit stop of the event on lap 108.  The pit crew changed four tires and filled the truck with 22 gallons of fuel.  They also made a trackbar adjustment to tighten the truck up so Benson could get it to the front of the field. 

Less than thirty laps later Benson’s truck spun and hit the outside retaining wall.  The 02 truck of Kelly Sutton, trying to avoid Benson’s spin, creamed into the front end of Benson’s machine causing heavy damage.  Benson took his truck to the garage and his team went to work trying to fix the damage.  Johnny B retuned to the track on lap 160, to try and collect as many points as he could.  The No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Tundra came across the finish line in the 32^nd position 27 laps down to the race winner Rick Crawford. 

The team dropped three spots in the point’s race to 14th, but is still less than 100 points out of the tenth position.  The Toyota Certified Used Vehicles team return.

NOTES:

• This week’s race truck for New Hampshire International Speedway is Chassis No. 23-35.  Johnny Benson drove truck No. 35 to a 13th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway last Thursday night.

• Movin’ on up… Benson moved to the 11th spot in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship standings after another top-15 finish.  Benson is only 40 points out of the 10th position.  Since Aug. 1, the No. 23 TCUV Tundra team has gained four spots in the points race.

• What a finish… Benson has only one Craftsman Truck Series start at The Magic Mile.  He drove the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Tundra to a third-place finish there in 2004.

• Welcome Home… Rear tire changer Billy Hagerthey calls the New Hampshire International Speedway his home track.  The Southampton, N.J., native grew up racing at Loudon and the surrounding tracks in the Northeast.  Hagerthey has been with Bill Davis Racing for three years, working with drivers Kenny Wallace, Shelby Howard and Benson.

• Listen and Watch … The New Hampshire 200 is scheduled to start 3 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 17. It will broadcast live on Speed (TV), MRN (radio) and XM Radio channel 144.

Johnny Benson on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
“New Hampshire is a track I really like.  It is a track you can race on, but you have to be good. It is tough to pass, but if your truck is handling well, you can work the bottom pretty good and get by people.  I definitely enjoy the track; we have had some good runs there.

“A couple of years ago in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, we ran in the top five with a chance to win the race.  But late in the race, Ryan Newman got by me, and we finished fourth.  I have run well at Loudon in all three series, so I am hoping my Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra will be in contention this weekend.

“I think the crew chief change has been a positive move for the No. 23 team.  We are still working through a couple of areas that need improvement, but once we get through those, we will be really running well.  I am still excited about the rest of the season.  Our goal is to go out and win races and be in the top 10 in points at the end of the season.”

Crew chief Rick Ren on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway: “I am looking forward to Loudon.  I won the Craftsman Truck Series race in Loudon in 1998 with Andy Houston.  It was memorable day.  He moved Greg Biffle out of the way with his bumper on his way to taking the checkered flag.

“I know Johnny is really good at Loudon.  He has a feel for the track and knows where to pass.  I am confident that we are going to give him a truck that will be competitive, and I look forward to our chance for a strong finish.”