Daytona Race Report
The No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra team
headed to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with
high hopes. After finishing second in the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series Championship standings last
season, Johnny Benson and his team were ready to make
their mark early in the 2007 season.
Daytona Photos
By: Barb Benson
The team struggled
somewhat during the first practice session, but after
many changes to his Toyota Tundra, Benson was able to
maneuver well through the draft. The team chose not to
focus entirely on single-truck runs.
Benson was the first
driver to qualify Thursday night and posted the
10th-best qualifying speed for Friday night’s 250-mile
event.
When the green flag
waved over the 36-truck field, Benson and the No. 23
team were more than ready for the season to get
underway. The second caution flag of the night waved on
lap 10, and Benson joined the rest of his competitors on
pit road for a fuel stop.
By lap 20, Benson had
begun his charge to the front. When everyone else
pitted under caution on lap 26, Benson remained on the
track. The No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra
took the lead under the caution and worked well in the
draft. Benson and his team were optimistic.
Benson drove hard and
remained in the top five during the next 20 laps. He
planned to pit under green flag conditions on lap 49,
but fortunately, the caution flag waved before he could
pit. Benson and his team were able to refuel the truck
without losing a lap.
Benson regained the
lead after the restart and held it through the halfway
point of the event. The caution flag waved again on lap
62, during which time Benson pitted for four tires and
fuel. He restarted 13th on lap 67.
Benson quickly vaulted
forward and was within the top three with 20 laps to
go. With his BDR teammate Mike Skinner behind him and
Toyota teammate Jack Sprague in front of him, Benson
knew he had to make his move on the last lap.
Coming off turn four on
the final lap, Benson got a hard push from behind, which
in turn bumped Sprague in front of him. Benson hurled
himself to a three-wide finish at Daytona. Benson
finished second in the second closest race in Daytona’s
history and finds himself already in the hunt for the
NCTS championship.
The team returns to
action this week at California Speedway. After
finishing sixth there in 2006, Benson hopes to do even
better this year. The race can be seen live Friday,
Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. (EST) on the SPEED Channel.
Listen to Johnny's
Interview
Thanks to Truckseries.com for
capturing Johnny's interview after the Daytona race.
Click Here to
enter the Daytona Report page and click on Sounds for a list
of interviews.
Johnny Finishes 2nd in Daytona
In a three-wide finish reminiscent of the 2003 NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International
Speedway, Jack Sprague's No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota got a
push from Johnny Benson's Toyota to nip Travis Kvapil at the
start/finish line on the final lap to capture the Chevy
Silverado HD 250. Sprague and Benson split Kvapil
right at the finish line, relegating him to a third-place
finish, .034 seconds behind winner Sprague.
Sprague, who started on the pole and led
16 laps, was grateful for the push by Benson. "This is
the most awesome win I've ever been able to accomplish,"
Sprague said. "I can't thank Johnny Benson enough; he won
this race for me. We got a run off (Turn) 4 and he hit me so
hard my teeth fell out. It shot me right by (Kvapil) and as
a result he was able to shoot by Travis, barely. That was
pretty cool that Johnny finished second because if it
weren't for him hitting me like he did, I would have never
won this race."
ace/Date:
Chevy Silverado HD 250 – Feb. 16, 2007
Location:
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.
NOTES:
-
This
week’s race truck
for Daytona International Speedway is Chassis No.
23-11. The No. 23 team is taking the same truck
it tested at Daytona International Speedway earlier
this year. The team was happy with the performance of
this truck, and driver Johnny Benson found the truck
very fast and maneuverable through the draft.
-
Sponsorships… Three
different paint schemes will adorn the No. 23 Tundra
throughout the 2007 season: Toyota Certified Used
Vehicles (TCUV), Exide and 360 OTC. The truck will
carry the TCUV colors this weekend at Daytona.
-
Autographs anyone? Benson
will participate in an autograph session Thursday,
Feb. 9 at Daytona Toyota in Daytona Beach. The event
is slated to start at 5 p.m. Benson will also be on
hand during the annual NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
drivers’ autograph session at the Volusia Mall in
Daytona Beach starting at 1:30 p.m.
-
Is this thing on? Benson
will join his Bill Davis Racing teammates on “PRN Fast
Talk” radio show Monday, Feb. 12 at 6:15 p.m., in
Volusia Mall, which is located directly across from
Daytona International Speedway. Catch Benson again
with his teammates on 95.7 WHOG’s morning radio show
on February 12 at 8:15 a.m.
-
Listen and watch …
The Chevy
Silverado HD 250 is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 16. It will broadcast live on Speed
Channel (TV), MRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio
(Ch. 128).
Johnny Benson’s Racing Quotes:
Johnny
Benson on racing at Daytona International Speedway
“I am looking forward to
going to Daytona. It is one of the fastest tracks on
the schedule, and I feel that we will be a front runner
from the start. We finished 15th there last year, but
this year I am hoping for a shot to win.
“The test in January proved
to be really strong for the No. 23 team. We were fast
in both single-truck runs and in the draft. With the
strong Toyota horsepower to help us, I think our truck
will contend for the lead all night.
“I am very pleased with the
way things are working with my new crew chief, Trip
Bruce. We seemed to click right from the start, and I
think our testing stats proved that. I am very excited
about 2007 and can’t wait to get started.”
Crew chief Trip Bruce on
racing at Daytona International Speedway:
“I am very excited about Daytona. TRD has impressed us
with not only their horsepower, but their aero package
as well, and I can’t wait to put it to use. Testing
went extremely well for us over the last month, and we
couldn’t be more ready to start the season. We will not
focus that much this year on qualifying but rather on
our raceday setup. We have worked out the balance in
the draft and have been very happy with the outcome of
it.”
