AUGUST NEWS
 

Johnny Attends National TCUV Meeting
The 2006 National Toyota Certified Used Vehicles meeting was held the week of July 24th in Huntington Beach, California.  This meeting  gathered all the associates and twelve selected TCUV dealers from around the country.  Johnny attended the meeting as a special guest and participated in a go-kart race.    (08-26-06)
 

JB on the course	JB with Tim Russo, Toyota Certified Representative  from the San Francisco Region
JB (2nd place), Steve Jardine (1st) and Jeff Johnson (3rd place).	Group photo of the Toyota Certified Team from HQ and the Regional Offices of Toyota

Happy 10th Anniversary! 
The JBFC would like to congratulate "Jayski" on his 10th anniversary of running a NASCAR site.  He does a great job of keeping fans updated on what is happening in the NASCAR world.  His site is also a great resource for stats and promotes the driver's websites.  Keep up the good work, Jay!   (08-26-06)
 

Bob Senneker joins John Benson Sr. in Hall of Fame

 

John Benson Sr. and Bob Senneker
at the Grand Rapids Hall of Fame Event

On Thursday August 24, 2006, West Michigan Auto Racing legend Bob Senneker was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sport Hall of  Fame. Raced stock cars 1962-1998 accumulating 487 wins in 1,594 starts...Won races in 36 straight seasons...Collected wins on 48 different race tracks...Set 65 track records...Record 85 ASA wins...Record 102 Berlin Raceway victories including 17 in 1966...One of the Mid West's most accomplished stock car racers ever and known for both his smooth driving style and
famed #84 "Bluebird" race car.  Congratulations, Bob! 

Way to Go #23 Team!
Another top 5 finish for Johnny and the #23 Toyota Tundra sponsored by Exide batteries.  Mark Martin won from the pole position while Johnny crossed the finish line in 4th.  PR to follow. 

Fan Support At Bristol
David and Bryce Pierce of Sevierville, TN made the the following posters to show their support of Johnny.  Look for them in the stands at Bristol! 
    

Kyle Busch on "7 Days"
Includes footage from Berlin Raceway

The television crew of 7 Days is following Kyle Busch this week.  That is great news for JB fans, since they spent the whole day covering Kyle and Johnny driving JB's late model cars.  This show begins airing on Monday, August 21st at 7:30 pm on SPEED. 

Meeuwsen wins “The Chet”
Busch finishes fourth, Benson 18th

Johnny Benson and Kyle Busch both had strong cars Wednesday night at Berlin Raceway, but a tire problem did Benson in and the lap count stopped Busch’s march to the front in the 100-lap “The Chet” memorial race presented by Comerica Bank. Ross Meeuwsen picked up his third win of the season and second straight, winning one of Berlin’s most prestigious races, the $5,000-to-win “The Chet.” In Berlin’s other two divisions, Mike Bursley was also a back-to-back winner in the Engine Pro Super Stock feature and #51Weston Jewett claimed his fifth Standale Lumber Sportsman feature win of the season.

Kyle Busch driving the
#10 late model
Photo By:  Tom DeVette

“The Chet” presented by Comerica Bank started with Johnny Benson in ninth position with his #5 car, while #10 Kyle Busch started 17th. Both bided their time and nipped away at the cars in front of them for the first 20 laps, which were slowed by four cautions - none involving major damage to the cars involved. Busch used the stop-and-go to get comfortable in the car he borrowed from Benson for this race, and it paid off. Once a long green flag run finally began, Busch was ready to climb toward the front of the field. Busch passed 10-time track champion #47 Fred Campbell on lap 29 to enter the top 10, and two laps later he passed #33 Dave Stehouwer for ninth position. Meanwhile, Benson was up to sixth and challenging #X Ray Clay for fifth, which he claimed on lap 38. Benson then got by current points leader #82 Tom Thomas for fourth on lap 51. As Benson and Busch were marching forward, #66 Tim Yonker was leading the race with Meeuwsen in a comfortable second through the first 56 laps. But on lap 55 #1 Randy Sweet made a sweet move to the outside of Meeuwsen for second; Sweet kept going, polishing off Yonker two laps later and checking out as the other front-runners got caught up in lapped traffic.

As Meeuwsen reeled in Sweet to battle for the lead on lap 67; Benson passed Yonker for third and Busch was up to seventh. A caution flag on lap 70 for a spin by #21 Terry Van Haitsma in turn 4 ended the long green-flag run, then once the race went green again, Sweet shot away from the field with Meeuwsen and Benson on his tail in a 3-car breakaway. A full 20 car lengths back was a second group of three cars: #77 Brian Campbell, Yonker and Busch, and the rest of the field was several car lengths behind that pack. On lap 75, Sweet slowed ever so slightly as sparks flew from under his car on the corners; Meeuwsen and Benson took advantage and hit the gas to pass Sweet, with Meeuwsen taking the lead in the race. Benson remained on Meeuwsen’s tail and was looking for the lead when his night abruptly ended 11 laps short of the finish line due to a flat tire. With Benson in the pits, it was smooth sailing for Meeuwsen, who charged to the finish line to pick up his second win in four days and third of the season. Brian Campbell finished second, followed by Sweet, Busch (who claimed fourth with three laps to go) and Yonker.

Two other divisions took to the track for features Wednesday night. In the 20-lap Standale Lumber Sportsman feature, #9 Jeff Sterken led the first five laps before giving way to #97 Andy Stormzand, last week’s winner. Caution came out on lap 10 as #80 Jason Hoogerhyde and #40 Dave Cutler get together, then once back under green, #51 Weston Jewett challenged for the lead. Jewett raced hard on the inside of Stormzand, but Stormzand held the lead until the final lap, when Jewett got a great run on Stormzand and made the pass off turn 4 to take the lead just before the stripe and earn his third feature win of the season. Stormzand finished just .093 seconds back in second, followed by Sterken, #2 Shawn Simon and #6 Terry Bockheim.

Bill Shotko Sr.’s #27 car led the 30-lap Engine Pro Super Stock feature for the first 12 laps, but #23 Mike Bursley took the high line around him on lap 13 and never looked back on his way to winning for the fifth time this season and second time in four days. #19 Nick Shotko finished second, followed by his father Bill Shotko Sr., #5 Jack Drolema and #16 Andrew Conklin.

Racing resumes next Saturday, August 19, for UAW Night with the UAW 100 (ASA North Late Models). The USAC Midwest Ford Focus Midgets and Berlin’s De-Jay Truck Pro Stock division will also race, followed by a post-race FIREWORKS show. Tickets are $12 for adults, half price for kids 6 to 12 and free for kids 5 and under. Pit passes for those 16 and over are $25.

Sixth Annual "The Chet" presented by Comerica Bank
to include NASCAR's Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson

MARNE, MI - Berlin Raceway is gearing up for the annual "The Chet" race, sponsored by Comerica Bank, to be held on Wednesday, August 16 at 7 p.m. Held in memory of track founder Chet Mysliwiec, the 100-lap Coors Light Late Model race will include NASCAR stars Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson.

Busch, who currently stands fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points as driver of the Hendrick Motorsports #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, is making his second visit to Berlin Raceway. The first was on June 1, 2002, when he finished 11th in the ASA tires.com 300. Busch will drive one of Johnny Benson's Coors Light Late Model cars for the 100-lap event.

The 21-year-old phenom burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2001, when at age 16 he finished ninth in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis. Shortly after that race, NASCAR officials unexpectedly raised the minimum racing age to 18 years, sidelining Busch for two season. After racing in the ASA and ARCA series, he returned to NASCAR racing in the Busch series in late 2003 when he turned 18. After success in the Busch Series and with a limited NEXTEL Cup schedule in 2004, he was given the famed No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet seat, replacing former champion Terry Labonte. Busch became the youngest driver to earn a NEXTEL Cup pole position at age 19, just eight races in to his first full season, in 2005; then became the youngest race winner ever when he won at California Speedway on September 4, 2005, at just 20 years, 125 days of age. He was also named the youngest ever NEXTEL Cup Rookie of the Year last year.

Busch joins a long list of NASCAR stars including Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Tony Stewart, Kenny Schrader, Dick Trickle and of course Benson, who have competed at Berlin Raceway in recent years. Benson is returning to Berlin Raceway for the third time this season and 21st time since 2001. Benson has recorded four wins and 14 top 5 finishes in that time. The 13-year NASCAR veteran currently ranks second in NASCAR Craftsman Truck series points.

The Coors Light Late Model division will race a 100-lap points feature with a field of 28 cars that make the show from the afternoon's qualifying time trials. Berlin's Engine Pro Super Stock and Standale Lumber Sportsman divisions will also compete for points in the 3-in-1 show.

For the third straight year, the race will benefit St. John's Home, Michigan's premier residential treatment program for emotionally troubled children and adolescents. Berlin Raceway and Comerica Bank will donate one dollar from every ticket sold for the August 16 race to St. John's Home. Most funding for the home comes from charitable contributions from the community, such as the Berlin Raceway/Comerica Bank fundraiser.

Tickets to "The Chet" are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children 6-12 are half price and 5 and under are free. Pit passes are $30. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Berlin Raceway administrative office (2060 Berlin Fair Drive, Marne, MI) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are also available by phone to Berlin Raceway at (616) 677-5000 or online at www.berlinraceway.com. Gates open for the Wednesday event at 12:15 p.m. and the first race begins at 7 p.m.