Johnny Benson - Bill Davis Racing
Ford 200 - November 18, 2005
Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL

         

The No. 23 Aaron’s Dream Machine team went to South Florida to the season finale at Miami-Homestead Speedway with one goal in mind—to get the No. 23 Tundra back into the top 10 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points.  The team was 22 points out of 10th with one event left on the 2005 schedule and knew it would have to have another strong run to take the step up. 

The team unloaded the Butler Blue Aaron’s Lease Tundra under cloudy skies.  The team only received limited practice due to interment rain in the South Florida area.  Benson told his guys his Tundra was a loose in the corners and he did not feel he could race the truck for 134 laps.  The team went to work trying to find the stability Benson was looking for.  The team finally hit on something at the end of the practice session, which Benson liked.  At the end of the final practice of the year, Benson told his 23 crew he was looking forward to the race and thought they had a Tundra which would be competitive during the race.

Benson went out early in the Friday afternoon qualifying session and laid down a lap of 31.635 seconds which lined him up eighth for the start of the Ford 200.  Benson came on the radio after his two laps and explained he was extremely loose and really had to wait to get back to the gas.  This was the third week in a row Benson started inside the top 10 for the start of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

With threatening weather in the area the teams in the garage were not sure if they were going to get the opportunity to run under the lights in Miami.  NASCAR did all it could to get the race in on Friday night but Mother Nature did not cooperate and the race was postponed until Saturday morning.

When the 36-truck field finally got the green flag on Saturday morning, Benson was on a mission to get to the front of the field.  He called to his crew on lap 11, saying his truck was still a little loose but felt it would be okay on a long green-flag run. 

When the caution flag was displayed to the field on lap 32, Benson decided to bring his Aaron’s Tundra to pit road for service.  The 23 team went to work changing four tires and filling the truck with fuel.  They also made a wedge and air pressure adjustment to the truck to try and tighten it up so Benson could get to the front of the field.  The team did its job on pit road, picking up three spots and when the race was restarted Benson was in the sixth spot.

On lap 63, Benson came on the radio saying he felt his truck was really hard on the right-rear tire.  He said the truck needed a little more side bite to compete for the win.  Crew Chief Rick Ren went to work to devise a plan for the final stop, which happed under the green flag on lap 95.  The 23 team went to work changing four tires and filling the Tundra with enough fuel to get to the end of the event.  The team also made an air pressure and wedge adjustment in hopes it would help Benson get to the front of the field. 

After the green-flag pit stop cycle was completed, Benson was in the third position poised for his first win of the 2005 season.  The caution came out on lap 126, which put Benson in the middle of a shootout for the win.  Benson battled for the final five laps but to no avail.  Still, he grabbed another third-place finish, which was the third time he had brought home that same finish in the last four weeks.

With the strong run, Benson also propelled his No. 23 team into the top 10 in the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings.  The team finished 10^th, two points ahead of the No. 50 Roush Racing Ford.

NOTES:

• This week’s race truck for Homestead-Miami Speedway is Chassis No. 23-73.  Truck No. 23-73 was raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway three weeks ago, where it crossed the finish line in the third position.

• Welcome Aboard… Bill Davis Racing is pleased to announce the addition of Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership, Inc. to its sponsor list for this weekend’s Ford 200.  Johnny Benson will pilot the No. 23 Aaron’s Dream Machine during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  The company is also the primary sponsor of the No.99 Michael Waltrip Racing entry in the NASCAR Busch Series. Based in Atlanta, Ga., Aaron’s Rents, Inc. currently has over 1,150 company-operated and franchised stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada for the rental and sale of residential and office furniture, accessories, consumer electronics and household appliances.  Aaron’s manufacturers furniture, bedding and accessories at 10 facilities in four states.

• Fishing anyone? Benson is heading to Miami early to join other NASCAR stars for the third annual Crown Royal fishing tournament.  Benson will spend all day Wednesday trying to reel in creatures of the sea before heading to the racetrack Thursday morning.

• Closing in… His two third-place finishes in the last three races have moved Benson and his No. 23 Bill Davis Racing team closer to the top 10 in championship points.  Benson sits only 22 points out of the top 10 with one race remaining.

• 50 races strong… When Benson takes the green flag Friday night, it will mark his 50th career Craftsman Truck Series start.  Benson has compiled 13 top-five finishes and 26 top-10 finishes in 49 starts.

• Listen and Watch … The Ford 200 is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. EST Friday, Nov. 18.  It will broadcast live on Speed (TV), MRN (radio) and XM Radio channel 144.

Bill Davis Racing Quotes:

Johnny Benson on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“I am really looking forward to Homestead.  We had a strong truck there last year and were battling for the lead.  But with only 10 laps remaining, we drug all the ductwork out of our truck, which put us back in the field.  My team has really been on a roll the last four or five races, and we are still in contention to finish in the top 10.  This season has been such a roller coaster, and I want to end it on a high note.  Rick Ren [crew chief] and I are really starting to gel, and I am looking forward to ending the 2005 season in victory lane.”

Johnny Benson at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date	Start	Finish	LC/TL	Status	$Won
11/19/04	14	11	134/134	Running	$14,475