Trucks to Test Spec
Engine at Martinsville
Bill Davis Racing and Roush
Fenway Racing each will test a truck at Martinsville
Speedway for NASCAR on Monday. Davis said the teams will use
a spec engine as NASCAR explores the possibility of making
all the engines the same for the Craftsman Truck series at
some point. "On the surface, it really looks good because of
the cost reduction," Davis said of a spec engine in the
truck series. "The only thing that concerns me, not only my
operation but a lot of truck operations are very
manufactured-dependent for sponsorship. I'm afraid if the
manufacturer doesn't have his engine in there, it's a spec
motor, is the attraction still going to be there?" Johnny
Benson is scheduled to test for Bill Davis Racing. Travis
Kvapil is scheduled to test for Roush Fenway Racing.
Ninth Place Finish in Busch Race
Johnny made the transition from Trucks to Cars to compete in
the 250 lap Busch race in Milwaukee Saturday night.
Johnny familiarized himself with the #1 Phoenix Racing
Chevrolet (normally driven by JJ Yeley) during the two
practice sessions. In the first practice his time was
good enough for 14th fastest and was at the top of the board
as 3rd fastest in the second session.
Qualifying was held under the blazing
sunshine and Johnny turned a lap good enough the for the 7th
starting grid. Johnny held his own in the top ten
during the entire race and the pit crew did an outstanding
job with their pit stops - Johnny never lost a position.
Johnny brought the car to a 9th place finish - which is the
best finish for the #1 Phoenix racing team in 2007.
This finish also moved James Finch from 23rd in owner's
point to 19th.
Benson wins!
Johnny Benson picked up his first win of the season in the
Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee Mile. A
late-race spin by #60-Jack Sprague after making contact with
#4-Mike Bliss, brought about a single file restart with four
laps to go, Benson maintained the lead over the second place
hard-charging #33-Ron Hornaday Jr. History repeats at
Milwaukee as Benson was the 2006 winner at this race; it was
his sixth win in the Truck Series. In an earlier caution,
the #09-Ted Musgrave was told by NASCAR to park his truck
following an on-track incident with #21-Kelly Bires.
Rounding out the top ten were; #33-Ron Hornaday Jr.,
#30-Todd Bodine, #5-Mike Skinner, #14-Rick Crawford,
#99-Erik Darnell, #4-Mike Bliss, #6-Travis Kvapil, #88-Matt
Crafton and #10-David Starr. (6-22-2007) Mike Skinner led
the most laps for the day with 103. There were 3 lead
changes among 3 drivers and 6 cautions for 25 laps
Dover Race Photos
By: Al
Amrhein
I had the opportunity to photograph the Craftsman Truck
Series race at Dover on June 1st and the JBFC
might enjoy some of the photos I have of Johnny. My
family, thru my wife Sandy, are members of Johnny’s fan club
and have been fans of his since he drove for Roush. He
really is an awesome driver and a true credit to NASCAR as a
whole. I had the opportunity to speak with Johnny on
pit road prior to the start of the race and I just wanted to
thank him again for taking the time to speak with me about
his Rockingham win (I was there, AWESOME!), it was really a
pleasure.
Milwaukee BUSCH Race
Johnny is scheduled to compete at Milwaukee in the BUSCH
race this Saturday, June 23rd at 8:00 p.m. Johnny will
be driving the #1 James Finch / Phoenix Racing machine
sponsored by
Miccosukee Resort Gaming. The #1 team
is currently 23rd in owners points. The race is
televised on ESPN2.
Benson's Night End's Early at Toledo
By: Charles Krall - Truck Series.com
JB in #74
Modified
Photo By: Judy Benson
Johnny Benson made the short trip from Michigan
International Speedway to my home track, Toledo Speedway, to
participate in what the speedway bills as "The Fastest Short
Track Show in the World." The program is an open wheel
doubleheader, with the Auto Value Bumper-to-Bumper Super
Sprints joining the International Supermodified Association
on the card.
The Toledo half-mile is nearly circular,
and banked at 12 degrees in the corners, allowing the winged
sprints and supermodifieds to run laps right around 13
seconds flat. That averages out to roughly 135 miles per
hour, with top speeds around 150 at the end of the
straightaways in qualifying.
VIDEO 1 of 2:
ISMA Supermodifieds at Toledo Speedway, June 15, 2007 -
Three Heat Races
VelocityVille.com Video Courtesy of Charles
Krall
Benson, a former ASA winner at Toledo,
had run the supermodified a couple of times last season, and
when he looked at how his schedule laid out for 2007 decided
the first opportunity to race it in 2007 would be during the
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series weekend at Michigan. It's just
about 50 miles between the two tracks, and Benson had plenty
of time to make the trip down following the conclusion of
Truck Series practice.
Benson qualified sixth, which set him up
for the second of three qualifying heat races. During his
10-lap heat, Benson was battling for fourth when Bobby
Dawson, one of the drivers he was racing with, lost the left
rear wheel coming off turn four and spun directly in front
of him. Benson made a nifty move to avoid, and went on to
finish third in his heat.
Benson had his work cut out for him in
the 50-lap feature, starting at the middle of the pack in
tenth. He moved to the outside on the start and actually
passed ISMA's dominant driver Chris Perley, but traffic
backed up in the outside and Benson was forced to drop back
in line.
Disaster nearly struck on lap seven when
the lapped car of Chris Hettinger spun, and the field
scrambled to avoid. Benson was running in close formation
with Dave Shullick, Jr., who made an evasive move to the
outside just as Benson was moving to the outside. Contact
was made and Shullick spun, but Benson's car was undamaged
and he continued on.
VIDEO 2 of
2:
ISMA Supermodifieds 50-Lap Feature, Toledo, Ohio - June 15,
2007
VelocityVille.com Video Courtesy of Charles
Krall
Once back under green the field logged
some incredibly fast laps as they marched towards the
halfway point. Just before halfway, Benson's teammate Mike
Lichty's car erupted in smoke and flames on the frontstretch,
leaving a huge streak of oil on the track and necessitating
a red flag. As the field rolled to a stop, Benson's engine
also started to seize. Unfortunately, when the cars were
pushed off to finish the remaining 28 laps, Benson's was
stationary on pit road. Perley, who started just inside of
Benson in ninth, went on to win the race.
"We had a good car, it's just unfortunate
it didn't make it to the end," Benson said with a smile
following the race. "That was a lot of fun. I had a couple
of my Truck guys down here and they said they've never seen
me sweat so much as I have here tonight. I told them it's
hard when you're out there holding your breath for so long!
The fun factor is really high in this kind of racing. I felt
the engine start to lock up right after our teammates engine
detonated. Our other teammate (Dave McKnight) finished
second, and I guess his engine was about to go right there
at the end too. I don't know what's going on there, but it's
rare to see three cars have the same problem like that.
We're going to do a few more of these races this year. It's
a lot of fun and I am already looking forward to it."
Officially, Benson was credited with 18th
finishing position. His fastest lap of the 22 he completed
was 14.214 seconds, while Perley ran the fastest lap of the
race at 13.837 seconds at an average of 130.837 miles per
hour.
VIDEO 1 of
2:
ISMA Supermodifieds at Toledo Speedway, June 15, 2007 -
Three Heat Races
VelocityVille.com Video Courtesy of Charles
Krall
VIDEO 2 of
2:
ISMA Supermodifieds 50-Lap Feature, Toledo, Ohio - June 15,
2007
VelocityVille.com Video Courtesy of Charles
Krall
Benson hopes Michigan Repeat Can
Propel Season
Last year's MIS Victory helped lead to runner-up in points
Nascar.com
Johnny Benson is coming home, and all you
have to do is look back to last season to see why the father
of two of who will turn 44 on June 27 is very excited about
the homecoming.
Benson's first full Truck Series season
in 2005 was a successful one as he finished 10th in points
and ended the year with six top-fives and 10 top-10s, but he
couldn't find that first victory.
Last year, the expectations were there
for Benson to improve on his solid debut, and he started out
strong with six top-six finishes in the first nine races.
After the Texas race, he found himself fourth in the points
standings, 232 behind Todd Bodine
Then he went home ...
Complete Story
Johnny Benson Enters ISMA Super Modified
Show at Toledo
NASCAR veteran Johnny Benson, in town for the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series race this weekend at Michigan Int'l
Speedway, is making a detour to Toledo Speedway.
Benson has entered the ISMA (International SuperModified
Association) race at Toledo Friday night, June 15th.
The All American Coach "Fastest Short Track Show in the
World" features ISMA and the Auto Value Super Sprints
competing in separate race cards on the lightning-fast,
half-mile Toledo oval. "I'm really looking forward to
it (racing at Toledo)," said Benson, who won an ASA race
there early in his career. "I ran with ISMA last year at
Berlin. It didn't take long to realize that these cars are
very cool to drive. I'm going to be in a car owned by Brad
Lichty, the same guy I ran for last year."
Benson, who is also scheduled to compete with ISMA at
Sandusky Speedway, Delaware Speedway and Berlin later this
year, grew up watching his father John Benson, Sr. race
super modifieds. In addition to winning seven late model
track championships at Berlin Raceway, Benson Sr. won the
Oswego Classic super modified race at Oswego Speedway in
1966.
Watching it growing up, I've always been fascinated with the
ISMA cars. There's so much ingenuity that goes into building
each and every one of them. I mean, the cars are actually
all quite different across the field. "The speed
factor was definitely something I had to get used to. The
same thing happens at Bristol. You feel like you're just not
keeping up with it. Last year at Berlin, the car (super
modified) was so fast it actually felt like it was 100 feet
in front of me. The first time I went out, I only ran three
laps, came in, shook it off and went back out; then I was
fine.
"The cars are amazing because they're so fast and so light
with a lot of down force. I mean, just the way they react is
so cool. I'm not suggesting they're in any way easy to drive
despite being so glued to the track. You can get one out of
shape in a hurry; they're just wicked to keep under control.
They're so different from anything else I've ever
driven.....in the air like you are."
Benson was the 1995 NASCAR Busch Series champion and made
271 career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts over a 10-year
span. The second-generation racer, currently eighth in
Craftsman Truck Series points, will also be competing in the
Michigan 200 truck race this Saturday at MIS.
Benson's career-best ISMA finish was second at Sandusky in
2006. "This is by far the best racecar deal I've ever
driven," added Benson. "If I could make a living racing
those cars, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just want to thank
Brad (Lichty) for the opportunity. I'm really looking
forward to Toledo."
JB Meets the Troops
During the rain delay at Mansfield, Johnny had an
opportunity to speak with several members of the US Army.
Sergeant George Armstrong is originally from Holland,
Michigan and currently located in Mansfield, OH. He
asked Johnny to speak to his girlfriend on the phone,
because she did not believe he was in the vicinity of
Johnny.
As the rain drops continued to come down, it gave Johnny a
chance to speak with them for a long time. Johnny also
participated in a video that was to be sent the troops
overseas. Thanks, Sergeant George Armstrong for what
you do for us!
Denny Hamlin Strong at Pocono
As a
MSNBC contributor, Johnny predicts that Denny Hamlin will
find himself in victory lane in Pocono as he swept bother
events in 2006.
To view the complete article -
Click Here.
History Repeats Itself in Texas
It
was a disappointing night for Johnny and the #23 Toyota
Certified Used Vehicles racing team. After a solid
qualifying run and just as he was reaching the leader to
battle for the lead, the engine expired sending Johnny into
the garage area for a 29th place finish. This is the
same thing that occurred in Texas in the 2006 fall race.
Todd Bodine reached victory lane.
Texas Race Report
By: JB Fan - TXJBFAN
It was nice under the lights, JB got a nice
cheer at the intros. Race started and we were running in
fourth and then on lap 5 JB came on the radio and said the
truck was tight in, neutral in the center, and wicked loose
on exit, now I have never heard JB come on the radio that
early in a race.
JB thought the truck was slamming down on the
front springs so hard it was making the truck want to jump
out from under him on exit. They said when they stopped they
would pull out a spring rubber in the left rear, and this
would help the truck. JB said that the tires that Goodyear
brought were not to his liking. when we pitted we put on 4
tires and pulled the spring rubber and came out in 17th, JB
told the crew he needed a long run and that's what he got.
The truck was haulin after the pit stop.
JB was passing trucks like they were standing
still, then on lap 60 he was on the bumper of Hornaday and I
think JB was setting him up until lap 64 when he came on the
radio and said they had blown up. JB told the crew that that
run was what they need and that a blown motor was the only
thing that would stop them so don't get down and good job. I
probably missed some chatter cause I took my 9 year old to
his first race and he had a lot of questions, BUT we cheered
like wild people when JB came by after introductions.
Johnny Starts 4th in Texas
Johnny Benson, No. 23 tundra, Bill Davis
Racing
Starting: 4th - Qualifying Lap:
29.867 (180.802 mph)
How do you think your truck will work in the race?
"The team brought a pretty good truck here. We've been
making gains all year and continue to get better, so maybe
things will come together tomorrow. We unloaded pretty fast
and just kept working on it practice to get a little bit
more speed out of it. We had a pretty bad qualifying draw
that put us out on a hot, slick track. But, we were able to
lay down a pretty good lap and will start near the front
tomorrow for the race."
Sad News
NASCAR Vice Chairman William C.
France, whose leadership helped turn a family-owned company
into a national phenomenon, died today at his home in
Daytona Beach, Fla. at the age of 74. France served as
NASCAR's president from 1972-2000, taking over from his
father, NASCAR founder William H.G. "Big Bill" France. In
2000, France - known as "Bill Jr." - became NASCAR's CEO and
the chairman of the newly created NASCAR Board of Directors.
In October 2003, the torch was again passed, with France's
son Brian France taking over as Chairman and CEO. France
became Vice Chairman at that time, whereupon his influence
and input remained considerable - and valuable.
"He had a remarkable career and an even-more remarkable
life," said Brian France. "Words cannot express how much
he'll be missed by myself and the rest of our family and by
the NASCAR industry overall."
Mike Helton became NASCAR's president in 2000. He was the
third president in the sport's history and the first not
named France. "Coming in, I had two big pairs of shoes to
fill," Helton said, talking about Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. "I
was more familiar with Bill Jr.'s way of doing business but
that didn't make it any easier. He blazed so many trails for
our sport. He was determined to follow the vision of his
father while also expanding on that vision. Over nearly four
decades, he did a masterful job."
France is survived by his wife Betty Jane France, NASCAR's
assistant secretary; his son Brian; daughter Lesa France
Kennedy, NASCAR's vice president and assistant treasurer;
his brother James C. France, NASCAR's vice chairman and
executive vice president; and three grandchildren. Funeral
arrangements are pending.
