Johnny Benson - O'Reilly 200 - July 15, 2006
Memphis Motorsports Park - Memphis, TN

Johnny Benson and the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra team went to Memphis knowing they needed to survive in order to remain within striking distance of Todd Bodine, who sits atop the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points standings.  Memphis Motorsports Park is another place at which someone else’s mistake can cause great headaches. 

The team struggled during both practice sessions Friday in its attempt to find balance in the truck.  Benson reported that the truck’s handling was loose and tight in the corners.  The team searched for stability with a number of spring and shock combinations, but nothing seemed to help the truck turn in the corners.  Crew chief Rick Ren made a number of major changes to the suspension, hoping it would help with grip.  At the end of the final practice, Benson said the changes seemed to help.  The team was cautiously optimistic about its chances in Saturday night’s 200-lap event. 

Benson qualified his Toyota Tundra in the 22nd position and began his charge to the front at the very start of the race.  He communicated to his crew on lap five that his truck was sliding all over the track, but he felt like it was going to come in as the race progressed.  By lap 25, Benson had moved into the 17th position.  He said the truck was tight in the front end and the crew needed to make a big change during the first stop.   

The crew received the opportunity to make those changes under caution on lap 63.  Benson arrived in the pits and received four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.  Fast work by the No. 23 crew gained Benson four positions on the track.  

When the race restarted on lap 66, Benson was in the 14th spot.  Fourteen laps later, Benson spun due to a flat right-rear tire.  The No. 20 truck clipped the front of Benson’s truck, causing left-front damage to the No. 23 Tundra.  The team worked during the caution to fix the damage. 

Benson restarted in 32nd and tried to survive the last 112 laps with a battered race truck.  When the checkered flag waved, Benson was in the 32nd position, three laps behind race winner Jack Sprague. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has two weeks off before returning to action in Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 4

Sprague Wins in Memphis
Jack Sprague dominated the first half of Saturday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Memphis Motorsports Park -- and then took the lead with 10 laps remaining -- to record his first NCTS win driving the No. 60 Con-Way Freight Tundra.    

Sprague started from the pole and led 123 of the first 143 laps in his Wyler Racing Tundra.  He then regained the lead on lap 193 of the scheduled 200-lap event.  A late caution flag led to a ‘shootout’ for the checkered flag in which Sprague held off a challenge from rookie Erik Darnell to cross the finish line .251 seconds ahead of second-place.

It was the seventh victory for Toyota this season and the 20th win for a Tundra since the beginning of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season.  The win was Sprague’s 26th career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory and his first triumph since last June at Texas Motor Speedway.  In addition, it was the first NCTS victory for Wyler Racing -- including crew chief Tony Furr -- in 19 starts for the team.

“This is the first win for Wyler Racing and the first win for Con-Way -- and the first win for me in some time,” said Sprague, following the race.  “This really is a new race team and it’s pretty easy to get derailed.  There are a lot of guys that haven’t worked together -- and good things make everyone feel great and bad things kick everyone in the gut.”

Throughout the night, Sprague held off the challenges of veteran Dennis Setzer early -- and then rookie Darnell late -- to register the win.  “Dennis (Setzer) was better than me on the long runs -- there’s no doubt about that,” explained Sprague, after the race.  “But, on the up-to-40 lap runs we were pretty good and could get away and lead.  Something happened to Dennis on the last pit stop, which is unfortunate for him -- but what I needed that to happen to win.”  

“In those last few laps, I wasn’t going to hit him (Erik Darnell) to win it -- and it’s a good thing he didn’t hit me.  It all worked out great.  I got by him clean and he didn’t take me out.  The older you get, you wonder if you’re ever going to win again -- which makes this win sweet.”  

Tundra drivers following Sprague to the checkered flag were David Reutimann (seventh), Mike Skinner (ninth), David Starr (11th), Todd Bodine (15th), Ted Musgrave (19th), Joey Miller (20th), Bill Lester (25th) and Johnny Benson (32nd).   (07-16-06)
 

NOTES:

• This week’s race truck for Memphis Motorsports Park is Chassis No. 23-35.  Johnny Benson drove this truck to a fourth-place finish at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway earlier this season.

• Moving on up… After scoring its seventh top-five finish of the year, the No. 23 team jumped to second in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship points standings.  The team sits only 112 points out of the lead with only 12 events remaining in the season.

• Welcome home… Memphis Motorsports Park is the home track of team owners Bill and Gail Davis, who grew up across the river in Arkansas.  The Davis’ first business venture, Bill Davis Trucking, started over 30 years ago and is located in Batesville, Ark.  Bill Davis Trucking employs more than 60 people.

• Autographs anyone? Benson and his Bill Davis Racing teammates will participate in the Craftsman Tools autograph session on the pit lane of Memphis Motorsports Park Friday, July 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  The autograph session is free to all season ticket holders to MMP.

• Out and about… Benson and his teammates will meet local fans Saturday, July 15, from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The meet and greet will be located in the Memphis Motorsports Park hospitality tent behind turn four.

• Listen and Watch… The O’Reilly 200 is scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. ET Saturday, July 15.  It will be broadcast live on Speed (TV), MRN (radio) and XM Radio channel 144.

Johnny Benson on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
“We were pretty decent last year and were looking forward to the race.  We had a little mishap early in the event with a shock and a cut tire, but we managed to keep our Tundra off the wall.  We tried unsuccessfully to fix the problem under the caution, so we had to run 50 laps without a right front shock.  That was quite eventful.  We went home with a decent finish considering all we went through.

“We need to be decent in both corners, but we really need to be able to pass coming out of turn four.  If you can keep your truck low enough and get enough bite in it coming off the corner, you are usually in pretty good shape.

“We do not take a different mindset to the track each week even though we are second in points.  We do not run our races any different.  We do not come to the track looking just to gain points.  We said at the beginning of the season our goal was to finish in the top five week in and week out, and we are doing that.  We need to lead laps and beat the guys leading the points on a regular basis, and right now we are not doing that.  We are close, but we need to start finishing ahead of the leaders on a weekly basis.  We can not make any mistakes.  If we do our homework, we’ll get the chance to battle for the championship.”