Johnny Benson - Bill Davis Racing
Sam's Town 400 - June 9, 2006
Texas Motor Speedway - Justin, TX

Race:                         Sam’s Town 400 (Race 9 of 25)
Track:                         Texas Motor Speedway
Date:                           Friday, June 9, 2006
Started:                      4th
Finished:                    5th
Laps Completed:            168
Total Laps:                 168
Drivers Points:            4th (No change in position from last race) 

Texas Photos
By:  Bob Carle

Bob Carle of Texas had quite the view at Texas Motor Speedway as he sat directly across from Johnny and the #23 Toyota Tundra pit stall.  Thank you for sharing your photos! 

            

      

 

 

Texas Motor Speedway is a race the 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles crew marked on the calendar at the beginning of the season as one they felt like they could win.  In the prior two spring races at the 1.5-mile speedway, Johnny Benson has finished in the runner-up position.  The team was looking to better its position by one and bring the trophy back to High Point, North Carolina.   

In the first practice session, the team was on its way to completing its goal.  Benson was on top of the speed chart and the veteran was extremely happy with how his Tundra was handling.  The team made very minor changes to the truck to see how it would react under race conditions.   

In the final practice session the team ran through a number of shock combinations, testing how the truck would react.  Benson told his crew the truck could work on either the bottom or the top of the track and he could really get through the middle of the corner which would help the team during the race.  At the end of the practice session, Benson told his guys he was looking forward to the race and felt like they had a truck which could compete for the win. 

The No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra team had a draw in the middle of the Bud pole qualifying session.  Benson went out on the track and ran a time of 29.678 seconds, which was good enough to put the team fourth for the start of Friday night’s 167-lap race.  His teammate, Mike Skinner, captured the pole with a time of 29.475 seconds. 

When the green flag was displayed to the field it only took one lap for Benson to move forward.  He and his teammate Mike Skinner were running one, two on the racetrack and were pulling away from the rest of the field.  Benson called into his crew on lap 10, saying the truck was loose and tight in the corners.  Crew chief Rick Ren said he would make a slight chassis adjustment during the first pit stop. 

When the caution flag waved over the field on lap 21 the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles team called its driver to pit road.  The team filled the truck with fuel and made a small trackbar adjustment in hopes it would cure the handling problems. 

Benson restarted the race on lap 25 in the third position.  On lap 30, he called into his crew saying the changes helped him getting into the corners, and it showed on the scorning monitor.  Benson and his teammate Mike Skinner were running the fastest times on the track.   

The crew made their second pit stop of the night on lap 51 under the caution flag.  The 23 team changed four tires and filled the truck with racing fuel.  They also made another slight trackbar adjustment to try and correct the loose condition Benson was feeling. 

Benson restarted the race on lap 54 in the ninth position, but was again on a mission to get to the front.  By lap 80, he had overtaken the runner up position and was looking to pass the leader.  He told his crew the truck was getting pretty loose, and the crew discussed what changes they were going to make on their final pit stop of the night. 

When the caution flag was displayed to the field on lap 99, the 23 team geared up for its last stop.  Benson rolled down the pit lane on lap 101 for service.  The team changed four tires and filled the truck with enough fuel to get to the end of the 167-lap event.  The crew also made a trackbar and wedge adjustment to the truck in hopes it would tighten Benson up for the 60-lap run.  

The race was restarted on lap 104 and Benson found himself in the 6^th position.  Benson did all he could for the final 60 laps to pick up positions and when the checkered flag waved Benson found himself in the fifth spot. 

The Craftsman Truck Series heads to Michigan International Speedway.  The race will commence on Saturday, June 17.  The race can be seen live on the Speed Channel at 3:15 p.m. ET.   

         

         

 

 

NOTES:

• This week’s race truck for Texas Motor Speedway is Chassis No. 23-73.  This will be the second time Chassis No. 23-73 has been used in 2006.  Its first outing was at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where it came home in the third position.

• Certified in Texas… For the fourth time this season, Toyota Certified will serve as the primary sponsor of Benson and the No. 23 Toyota Tundra this weekend.

• Photo Finish… Whenever Johnny Benson has been behind the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra at Texas Motor Speedway, the result has been the same – he has finished second.  Benson has an average finish of 5.66 in his three NCTS starts at Texas.

• Now that’s a stat… In 58 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Bill Davis Racing has accumulated two wins, 26 top-five finishes and 48 top-10 finishes.  The organization has also captured 12 pole positions.

• Coming on Strong… In Benson’s last 12 Craftsman Truck Series starts, he has compiled six top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes.  The No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles team has an average finish of 8.58 since the race in Atlanta last October.

• Listen and Watch… The Sam’s Town 400 is scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. EST Friday, June 9.  It will broadcast live on Speed (TV), MRN (radio) and XM Radio channel 144.

Johnny Benson on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
“I am looking forward to going to Texas Motor Speedway.  We have run second there the last two years.  If we can improve just by one position, we will be happy.  I am really excited to get back behind the wheel of the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra.  Texas is a track that I really like to race.  [Crew chief] Rick Ren and the guys at Bill Davis Racing have found a great setup there, so I am really looking forward to it.

“You have to be smooth and respect the racetrack.  It is a fast place, but you have to be disciplined to make sure you can stay in the fast groove of the track, which is on the bottom.  In the last three races at Texas, our pit strategy has been good and our Tundras have been great, but our timing was off.  We have to have perfect timing in order to get our TCUV Tundra to victory lane.”