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JB Fans, Denny and Donna at Berlin Raceway
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Keep up with what is happening with Johnny and the #23 Bill Davis
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Congratulations!
To Scott Thomas
of Michigan who had the winning bid for the 1:24
diecast sponsored by Toyota Certified Used Vehicles. Thank you for your support!
Truck Series to the Chase Format?
By: Mark Aumann -
Nascar.com
Add the Chase format to
the Craftsman Truck Series? Thanks, but the drivers believe
there's plenty of excitement in the championship, just the
way it is.
And why
not? It's kind of hard to argue with success. A 25-race
schedule and the size of the fields are conducive to a close
championship battle that more often than not comes down to
the final race of the season. "You look at it and what
we have works," David Starr said. "The last two, three
years, it's come down to the last race."
Ted Musgrave would tend to agree. He's
been on both sides of the championship fence, just missing
one in 2003, just hanging on to win it in 2005.
"Nobody gets a runaway championship and it's been that way,
year after year," he said. "Our race season -- 25 races --
doesn't allow a lot of time to have a points chase, much
like they have in the Nextel Cup Series, where they have 36
races to play with. We're exciting as it is. If they
tweak it, it'll ruin the excitement we have had down in
Homestead."
Allow the drivers to present Exhibits A through E:
2002: Mike Bliss leads Rick Crawford by 32 points
and Musgrave by 71. Musgrave dominates at Homestead,
finishing second to Ron Hornaday, but Bliss hangs on for
fifth and a 46-point margin of victory over Crawford.
2003: Perhaps the best of the
bunch, as four drivers are separated by 39 points heading
into the season finale. Points leader Brendan Gaughan is
involved in a crash with Marty Houston, driving one of Jim
Smith's four trucks. Gaughan winds up 29th -- and utters the
unforgettable quote: "Jimmy Smith can kiss my a--."
Travis Kvapil ends up sixth, one position ahead of Dennis
Setzer -- and nine points ahead in the final tally, as
Smith's No. 1 driver, Musgrave, ends up third, 18 points
behind, after getting a black flag for an illegal pass of
Setzer on the restart.
2004: Setzer's second again, this
time by 46 points to Bobby Hamilton. Hamilton finishes 16th
but Setzer can't capitalize, winding up 10th.
2005: Almost a carbon copy of 2004
for Setzer, who trails Musgrave by 58 points heading to
Homestead. Musgrave finishes a lap down in 19th but so does
Setzer -- in 18th. "I don't care if he came in and
went to the bathroom, I was going to stay with him,''
Musgrave said of his competition.
2006: Johnny Benson trails Todd
Bodine by 112 points with one race to go -- but having won
at Phoenix. However, Benson got tangled with Chase Miller,
then cut a tire to end his championship hopes. Bodine
cruised to a 21st-place finish, 127 points ahead of Benson.
"I saw Johnny had his problems and I knew we were going to
be all right to just ride around to the finish," Bodine
said.
Not one driver interviewed was in favor
of a "playoff" format. All considered consistency to be the
key factor in determining a series champion. However,
Terry Cook wouldn't mind if the race winner and top
qualifier got a little more recognition for their efforts.
"I think in today's game, we need to reward more for wins,"
Cook said. "It may be only 10 more points than what exists
now. Maybe we should have a qualifying point system.
Sometimes I feel like I'm a good qualifier and sometimes I
don't. But reward people for their achievements inside
the sport. We do reward for most laps led, reward for a lap
led. But more for wins, possibly a structure system for
qualifying."
Cook said the ultimate goal is to carry
the drama to the last turn of the last race -- and that's
something that the current points system seems to do very
nicely. "Personally, I don't see [the Chase] as being
necessary in the Truck Series," he said.
In Memory
We would like to send out our condolences to our cousins
Colleen, Susan, Jack Jr. and Sally on the loss of their
mother .....
Mary Louise (Benson) Conklin, age 73, passed away Sunday,
December 17, 2006 after a long courageous struggle with
Parkinsons. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack
in 1986. Surviving are her children, Colleen (Tom)
Carrington, Susan (Steve) Fryover, Jack Jr. (Kim) Conklin,
Sally (Keith) Roach; six grandchildren, Kelly and Jaclyn
Carrington, Shannon and Scott Fryover, Samantha and Tyler
Conklin; brothers, John (Judy) Benson, Bill (Barb) Benson;
sisters, Anna Sietsema, Carol (Dave) Penninga; and several
nieces and nephews. She was a longtime faithful employee at
Sietsema Orchards. Memorial service was held on Thursday,
December 21, 2006. Memorial contributions may be made
to the American Cancer Society.
Kearns named fourth quarter NMPA /
Pocono Spirit winner:
Owen Kearns, manager of
communications for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has
been named the fourth quarter recipient of the National
Motorsports Press Association Pocono Spirit Award.Kearns,
who began his racing career as a journalist, joined NASCAR
in 1983 to run what was then known as the Winston West
Series. In addition, he has worked with NASCAR's Weekly,
Southwest and Northeast series. He began working with the
truck series upon its inception, and worked 288 consecutive
events before health issues forced him to the sidelines for
a single race - the 2006 Easy Care 200 at Atlanta Motor
Speedway - in October of 2006. However, after only a brief
stay in the hospital, Kearns was back on the beat,
overseeing the series when it returned to Texas Motor
Speedway the following week. "Actually, I've been around the
truck series before it even began," he said, "as early as
1993. Through the meetings with NASCAR in Daytona and the
exhibition races, I've been involved with it for quite some
time. "I'm humbled to receive the award ... I really
appreciate it." Kearns is a native of Bakersfield, Calif.
The NMPA Pocono Spirit Award is designed to recognize
character and achievement in the face of adversity,
sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year,
quarterly winners are selected, and an overall winner is
selected by a vote of the NMPA membership. The 2006 overall
winner will be announced during the NMPA's annual convention
and awards ceremony scheduled for Jan. 21.
Toyota Looking for Land near
Charlotte
Toyota Racing Development
officials met with Rowan County commissioners Monday night
about the potential purchase of an 89-acre parcel of land
near Salisbury, N.C., about 43 miles north of Charlotte, NC.
TRD president Jim Aust said Toyota plans to build an
engineering facility to support its NASCAR teams. The
manufacturer, which will enter the Nextel Cup Series in
2007, would use about half the site's land for the building.
The sale wouldn't be complete until next year after a
follow-up meeting with the county.
Need a Gift?
Grand Rapids Popcorn offers a variety of gift baskets filled
with popcorn and other sweets that will satisfy any race
fan. They are located at 4675 West River Drive in
Comstock Park, MI 1-800-968-4027 or you can order
online at
www.grpopcorn.com.
SIRIUS Satellite Radio
announced that it will debut The
Driver's Seat, an exclusive daily talk show hosted by
veteran broadcaster John Kernan and a roster of current and
former NASCAR drivers, on January 1.
The Driver's Seat will air every
weekday (11am-3pm ET) only on SIRIUS Radio. The Driver's
Seat will feature Kernan and a different driver taking calls
from listeners, interviewing special guests and discussing
the latest news from the world of NASCAR.
Featured co-hosts will include
legendary Hall of Famer Buddy Baker; 1995 NASCAR Busch
Series champion Johnny Benson; two-time NASCAR Busch
Series champion Randy LaJoie; two-time NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday; former Busch and Cup
Series Rookie of the Year Ricky Craven; former Cup and Busch
Series driver Phil Parsons, who is now the color commentator
for Speed Channel's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race
broadcasts; and John Andretti, one of the sport's most
versatile drivers who has made his mark racing USAC Midgets,
Indy cars, NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and NASCAR stock cars.
The Driver's Seat, produced in conjunction with Performance
Racing Network (PRN), will air exclusively on SIRIUS.
Congratulations, #23 Team!
For winning the Checkers/Rally Double Drive-Thru Pit Crew
Challenge and $10,000.
Congratulations,
Johnny!
For winning the
Most Popular Driver Award for the Craftsman Truck Series
as voted on by your peers!
Congratulations!
To Clyde Lorenz of
Michigan who had the winning bid for the 1:24
diecast sponsored by Toyota Certified Used Vehicles.
This auction benefits the Johnny Benson Foundation.
Thank you for your support!
Speed Puts Out Open Casting Call
for Speed Road Tour Challenge
SPEED is looking
for four serious NASCAR fans. The Charlotte-based
network will conduct open auditions Dec. 9 at Michael
Waltrip’s new race shop in Cornelius, N.C. for SPEED
Road Tour Challenge, a new reality show scheduled to
debut Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. ET. SPEED is in search of four
NASCAR fans willing to travel to 13 races from Daytona
through Charlotte, competing with each other along the
way for a prize package that will include an offer to
join the SPEED Road Tour crew for the remainder of the
NASCAR season.
“SPEED is all about connecting with the fans,” said
Chris Long, SPEED VP of Studio Production. “Our at-track
shows like NASCAR RaceDay, Trackside, NASCAR Live!,
NASCAR Performance and Tradin’ Paint are all done in
front of a live audience. Next year, Inside Nextel Cup
will be shot in front of a live studio audience for the
first time ever, and with the SPEED Road Tour Challenge,
we feel like we have created the ultimate fan program
with the ultimate payoff.”
Once four participants are selected, they will travel
together by motor coach -- one equipped with cameras and
microphones to record every turn and every pit stop
along the way -- all hours of the day, seven days a
week. Beginning at Daytona, the four will compete in
weekly challenges, all recorded for a prime time
television show scheduled to debut on SPEED in February
with a one-hour tryout special. Interested fans
should visit
SPEEDtv.com for more information and a SPEED Road
Tour Challenge application.
Miami Photos
By: Mikayla and
Katelyn Benson
Thank you to Mikayla
and Katelyn helping Aunt Barb capture the action!
Dear JB Fans,
I hope that everyone had a safe and happy
holiday. I feel that the best part of the Thanksgiving
holiday is to take time to reflect on the past year and give
thanks to those important around you. So, thank
you - JB Fans! We are grateful to have such dedicated
fans that support Johnny and the #23 team throughout the
season. We had so much to cheer about!
Barb Benson
Congratulations, Rick Ren!
Rick Ren, Robbie
Reiser and Trip Bruce have been named the winners of the
2006 Crew Chief Challenge.
The contest, sponsored by Wypall Wipers,
is open to crew chiefs in all three NASCAR national series.
After each race, a deserving crew chief is selected by a
panel, based on his efforts during a particular race. The
crew chief in each series with the most weekly wins earns
the $10,000 award for the season.
Reiser is the crew chief for Matt Kenseth in Nextel Cup
while Ren is crew chief for Johnny Benson in the Craftsman
Truck Series. Bruce is crew chief for the No. 9 Evernham
Motorsports' Busch Series car, which has been driven by
Scott Riggs, Kasey Kahne and others this year.
Todd Bodine Wins the
Championship
The JBFC would
like to congratulate Todd Bodine and his entire team on a
job well done in 2006! Most of all - thanks for the
clean hard racing all year long and the supportive comments
of our favorite driver!
Todd Bodine won the
2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title thanks to a
21st-place finish in the Ford 200 season finale Friday at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bodine entered the
race having to finish only 28th or better in the event. He
all but clinched the title when Johnny Benson, who began the
day 112 points behind Bodine, clipped a spinning Chase
Miller with about 40 laps remaining. Benson finished 26th.
With the
21st-place finish, Bodine wound up 127 points ahead of
Benson. The championship marked the first for Bodine, the
first for Germain Racing as well as the first for Toyota in
a NASCAR national touring series. "We've been racing
for a lot of years - [brothers] Geoff and Brett - and I have
cousins racing and nephews that race, but this is the first
time as a family that we've won something this important,"
said Bodine, the youngest of the three brothers. "This is so
special. You can't imagine what this means to me or my
family. "It's for everyone that helped me on my race
cars ever."
The
42-year-old Bodine had three wins this season (Benson
recorded five) with 12 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 25
races. Bodine took the points lead after the fifth
race of the season and never relinquished it. He completed
all but three laps during the entire campaign.
"It's been a
terrific year," Benson said. "They did what they had to do
and they did a good job. They had a tremendous job. Our team
... has done a tremendous job there, too."
Rounding out the top five in points were David Reutimann,
David Starr and Jack Sprague. Also headed to the
postseason banquet thanks to a top-10 point finish will be
Ted Musgrave, Ron Hornaday, Terry Cook, Rick Crawford and
Mike Skinner.
TCUV
Supports the #23 Team in Miami
Sponsor representatives from Toyota Certified Used Vehicles
went to Miami - Homestead Speedway to show their support for
Johnny, Rick and the #23 Bill Davis Racing Team. The
JBFC loves sponsors who want to be involved - we appreciate
their support!
Ask JB
From: Jim - Michigan
This is not a question ... But I was at Berlin and Sandusky when you ran a super this year. That feature at
Sandusky was the best race I've seen in years and I've seen a bunch. Do what you can to have more of the supers around here. It must have felt great, driving a real racecar for the first time in your life!! It's true, the acorn does not fall far from the tree!!
From: Thomas Steve Rebmann - Florida
Wanted to inquire as to how Rick was doing after having back
surgery? Congrats on being named crew chief of the year!
Rick is doing well and we have begin to schedule our
testing for the 2007 season.
Johnny's Helmet
Toyota Motorsports is running a contest in which you can win
a helmet that Johnny used in the 2005 season—valued at
$1,000. Since Johnny never gives up his helmets, I believe
the value should be higher. Johnny confirmed - this is one
of his helmets. You can enter the contest at
www.toyotamotorsports.com/helmet
Contest ends in December 2006. Good Luck!
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Victory Lane
Milwaukee
June 20, 2008
Miami
November 16, 2007
Gateway
September 1, 2007
Bristol
August 22, 2007
Milwaukee
June 22, 2007
Berger
Chevrolet
Check Out
Berlin Raceway
Results
Berlin Raceway
Racing Broadcast on 92.5 - The Outlaw
Click Here
to listen on
the web
Berlin Raceway
Hall of Fame
John Benson Sr.
Harry Obie
Bob Knight
Gail Cobb
Ralph Baker
Jimmy Meyer
The Mysliwiec's
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2008
Craftsman Truck Schedule
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02/15 |
Daytona |
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02/23 |
California |
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03/07 |
Atlanta |
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03/29 |
Martinsville |
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04/26 |
Kansas |
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05/16 |
Lowes |
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05/24 |
Mansfield |
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05/30 |
Dover |
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06/06 |
Texas |
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06/14 |
MIS |
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06/20 |
Milwaukee |
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06/28 |
Memphis |
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07/19 |
Kentucky |
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07/25 |
Indy |
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08/09 |
Nashville |
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08/20 |
Bristol |
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09/06 |
Gateway |
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09/13 |
Loudon |
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09/20 |
Las Vegas |
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10/04 |
Talladega |
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10/18 |
Martinsville |
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10/25 |
Atlanta |
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10/31 |
Texas |
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11/07 |
Phoenix |
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11/14 |
Homestead |
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2008
Nationwide
Schedule |
|
02/16 |
Daytona |
|
02/23 |
California |
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03/01 |
Las Vegas |
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03/08 |
Atlanta |
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03/15 |
Bristol |
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03/22 |
Nashville |
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04/05 |
Texas |
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04/11 |
Phoenix |
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04/20 |
Mexico |
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04/26 |
Talladega |
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05/02 |
Richmond |
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05/09 |
Darlington |
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05/24 |
Lowes |
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05/31 |
Dover |
|
06/07 |
Nashville |
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06/14 |
Kentucky |
|
06/21 |
Milwaukee |
|
06/28 |
New Hampshire |
|
07/04 |
Daytona |
|
07/11 |
Chicago |
|
07/19 |
Gateway |
|
07/26 |
Indy |
|
08/02 |
Montreal |
|
08/09 |
Watkins Glen |
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08/16 |
Michigan |
|
08/22 |
Bristol |
|
08/30 |
California |
|
09/05 |
Richmond |
|
09/20 |
Dover |
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09/27 |
Kansas |
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10/10 |
Lowes |
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10/25 |
Memphis |
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11/01 |
Texas |
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11/08 |
Phoenix |
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11/15 |
Miami |
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2008
Sprint Cup
Schedule |
|
02/17 |
Daytona |
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02/24 |
California |
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03/02 |
Las Vegas |
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03/09 |
Atlanta |
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03/16 |
Bristol |
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03/30 |
Martinsville |
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04/06 |
Texas |
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04/12 |
Phoenix |
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04/27 |
Talladega |
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05/03 |
Richmond |
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05/10 |
Darlington |
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05/25 |
Lowes |
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06/01 |
Dover |
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06/08 |
Pocono |
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06/15 |
MIS |
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06/22 |
Sonoma |
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06/29 |
New Hampshire |
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07/05 |
Daytona |
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07/12 |
Chicago |
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07/27 |
Indy |
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08/03 |
Pocono |
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08/10 |
Watkins Glen |
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08/17 |
MIS |
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08/23 |
Bristol |
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08/31 |
California |
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09/06 |
Richmond |
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09/14 |
Loudon |
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09/21 |
Lowes |
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09/28 |
Kansas |
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10/05 |
Talladega |
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10/11 |
Lowes |
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10/19 |
Martinsville |
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10/26 |
Atlanta |
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11/02 |
Texas |
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11/09 |
Phoenix |
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11/16 |
Miami |
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2008
JB's Berlin
Schedule |
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August 2nd |
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September 27th |
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