Las Vegas Ticket Drawing
Thanks to fan club member Ray Rosloniec you have a chance to win two grandstand tickets to the Las Vegas Craftsman Truck Race on September 22nd.  They are located in the Earnhardt Terrace.  You must be a fan club member to enter.  You may either post on the message board or send an email to the fan club with your name, address and phone number. Deadline:  August 10th.  Thanks, Ray!

Bristol Testing
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- The new concrete surface at Bristol Motor Speedway received positive reviews from NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers during a test session on Monday. Thirty teams were at Bristol turning the first laps around the 0.533-mile oval track since it was resurfaced following the Nextel Cup Series race on March 25.

Todd Bodine was the first truck on the track when the test session started and came away impressed.  "This is by far the best revamping of a track ever," Bodine said. "No doubt about it. The people here knew what they wanted with the re-do and they went out and did it. This is the way it should be done."

The resurfacing was the first at the track since 1992, when the asphalt track was replaced by an all-concrete surface. Although no major changes were made to the track, variable banking was added to the turns to help smooth the transition to the straightaways. The track is also three feet wider now, which leads some drivers to believe a third -- or "high" -- groove will come into play during the race.

"I think if we're out there racing and we get bottle-necked up, we'll find a new groove," Rick Crawford said. "You won't have to force anybody to go to the high side -- if they need to pass, they'll be there."

Brendan Gaughan agreed with Crawford after watching some drivers test the high line Monday morning.  "Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday were the first ones out there and all three of them went to the top to see if they could run up there," Gaughan said. "It was definitely interesting to see guys [drive] two grooves off the bottom."

The second and perhaps third grooves will develop as more laps are run on the track. The rubber from the tires will expand the grooves, resulting in more side-by-side racing.

"It definitely gives you a better opportunity than ever to pass," Johnny Benson said. "We're all so used to running the bottom groove it's awful hard to make yourself go up there. But that outside groove is going to be good once they get rubber on the track.

"It's definitely smoother and they've done a tremendous job. The transitions are better both going into the corners and coming out of the corners. It's just going to take a little time to get some rubber on it to get it seasoned. The place is going to be pretty awesome once that happens."

The resurfacing job has even converted drivers who were against the project, like points leader Mike Skinner.  "When we were told they were going to redo this place, we were very, very concerned but it's an A-plus," Skinner said. "It really isn't any different. It's Bristol."

Kalamazoo Klash Photos
By:  Tom Devette


The drivers of the Kalamazoo Klash
lined up for a photo opportunity

Tom Thomas and JB making laps
around the Kalamazoo Speedway
 

Kalamazoo Klash Update
After making repairs to the body from racing at M-40 Speedway, Johnny and his crew traveled to Kalamazoo Speedway for the Kalamazoo Klash.  The practice session was held all afternoon and Johnny did his best to get his car dialed in.  The cars darted out of the pits one at a time for qualifying.  Johnny's time was good enough for 16th fastest - locking him into the field. 

Johnny set an easy pace at the start of the 100 lap segment and patiently picked his way through the field.  By the time the checkered flag flew, Johnny was in 7th.  During the break, the team thrashed on the car making the necessary changes and tried to cool the engine down. 

As soon as the green flag dropped, Johnny knew he was in trouble as he  was sideways coming out of turn two.  Johnny brought his #10 Exide - Aarons - Berger Chevrolet into the pits for good and finished 20th.   A big thanks to Russ Hoekwater, Ron Piechocki, Bill Byrne, Jim Kurtz,  Jason Blaine and Stanley Rydarwicz for all their help. 

Sad News
The JBFC sends their sympathy to the family of Matt Berger Family  (Berger Chevrolet) on the passing of his mother, Kathryn Berger .... 

Kathryn Lynn (Dinny) Berger, aged 67, devoted wife, beloved mother, and adored grandmother, entered into the presence of her savior, Jesus Christ, Sunday, July 15, 2007. Her sudden departure will be missed by many. She will be remembered for her joyful hospitality, kindness and generosity to all she knew.

She was born in Grand Rapids to Max and Dorothy (Napieralski) Ludlow. She was a 1958 graduate of East Grand Rapids High School. She kept in touch with many of her classmates and continued to be active in the planning and execution of the "Class of '58" reunions. She was a former member of the Steketee Guild and the Kent Garden Club. Her happiest moments were the ones she spent doting on her four wonderful grandchildren. They put the sparkle in her smile and the twinkle in her eye!

She will be sadly missed by Tyler, Macey, and Morgan Berger and Travis Faulkner. She enjoyed traveling with her husband over the years and most recently to their Northern Home in Bay Harbor, Michigan. She is also survived by her loving husband of 49 years, Dale Berger; son, Matthew Berger (Shari); daughter, Jody (Ralph) Faulkner; brother, William Ludlow; sister-in-law, Susan (Tom) White; brother-in-law, William (Linda) Berger; niece, Tara (Vince) Cardella; nephew, Tad (Ellie) Berger; nephew, Tom White; great nephew, Nicholas Cardella; and special friends, Betty Morren and Beth Van Zytveld. 

Lee Anderson Memorial T-Shirts and Decals
T-shirts and Decals in memory of Lee Anderson will be available for you to purchase at the Kalamazoo Klash on Wednesday, July 18th.  All proceeds go to his daughter, Kaileigh Anderson. 

Kalamazoo Klash

For the 15^th explosive year, Kalamazoo Speedway hosts the KALAMAZOO KLASH at the famed 3/8- mile high- banked asphalt track.  On Wednesday, July 18, 2007, over 6,000 race fans will crowd the stands to watch over 75 of the hottest Outlaw Late Model drivers in the Midwest, compete for the historic $30,157 first place payoff.  “Over the past 14 years, The KLASH has become a regional racing sensation, attracting network television, radio, and newspaper coverage and appeals to racing fans of all ages.” says Kalamazoo Speedway owner, Gary Howe. 

NASCAR star Johnny Benson has just confirmed that he will be back to defend his Klash title from last year, although our local favorites are geared up for the competition, for their share of the $90,000 of prize money.  Names like Andy, Phil, & Jeff Bozell, Terry Senneker, Steve Needles, Brandon Lyons, Rick Sexton, Dave Sensiba, and Hank Miller are just a few of the drivers determined to defend the Kalamazoo Speedway home turf!  Drivers from across the Midwest that are expected to assemble for this racing resume builder, include outside super stars like Scott Hantz, Fred & Brian Campbell, Jack Landis, Curt Spalding, Ross Meeuwsen, and Tom Thomas, just to name a few.

Edelbrock & Lane Automotive are the featured Sponsors of this year’s KLASH, with associate sponsorship from Holley, Comp Cams, Sweet Manufacturing, Longacre, and Allstar Performance.  Tickets to the 2007 Kalamazoo Klash are $25 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 and FREE for kids 5 and under.  Racing starts at 6:30 pm sharp, with a rain date of Thursday, July 19, 2007.  There will be an open practice on Tuesday evening, July 17^th, where up to 60 of the teams will be on hand.  Grandstands are free for the practice session, pits are $20.  Directions:  US 131 to D Ave exit, west to Ravine Road, south to track.

Kalamazoo Speedway is Michigan’s only NASCAR sanctioned short track, featuring over 35 weekly race events, welcoming over 200,000 race fans each season, and hosting several special events throughout the race season that attract media attention and national recognition.  The Kalamazoo Speedway is locally owned by Gary and Donna Howe and is proud to offer a fresh, family friendly racing venue, that offers a great entertainment value for the thousands of local race fans.  For general information or interviews, please call 269-692-2423.

Kalamazoo Klash
Attention Fan Club members ....  For those fans who are attending the Kalamazoo Klash - you have an opportunity to win a 1:24 #23 EXIDE diecast just for going to the race!  All you need to do is send your ticket stub with your name, address and phone number to the fan club address.  One lucky winner will be drawn. 

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Gets Underway
The annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America rolled off Saturday from Bar Harbor, Maine, to begin a 2,800 trek toward Hollywood, Fla. The annual charity event is going north to south for the first time this year after crossing the nation from west to east in its 12 previous editions. The riders will visit the Victory Junction Gang Camp on Wednesday, arriving around 1 p.m. From there, it’s on to Augusta, Ga., and St. Augustine, Fla., before ending Friday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Fans can keep up with the more than 275 participants’ progress at chick-fil-akylepettycharityride.com. The ride has raised more than $9 million in its history.

NASCAR Defends Drug-Testing Policy
NASCAR believes strongly that its substance-abuse policy works well and encourages the sport's drivers to take an active role in its application.  "Our policy is based on reasonable suspicion, and in the agreement ... it lays out a lot of things to look for that are out of the ordinary," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president for corporate communication.

"Anytime (drivers) suspect that someone is abusing, they can come up to one of our officials, to me, to (John) Darby, to Mike Helton and we'll investigate.  I think they have a responsibility to let us know."

Several drivers, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton among them, called on NASCAR this weekend to step up its drug testing in response to Truck series driver Aaron Fike's arrest last weekend on drug charges.  "You have to guard against somebody trying to get someone bounced just to get rid of the competition," Hunter said.

Testing in Iowa
Nine teams from the Craftsman Truck Series were at the Iowa Speedway for testing on Thursday for Toyota.  Craftsman Truck points leader Mike Skinner was at the Iowa Speedway. Former Nextel Cup Series regular and Craftsman Truck Series driver Johnny Benson was also in Newton as well as Todd Bodine.   Drivers said that the Iowa Speedway reminds them of the Richmond International Raceway. "You know, one of my favorite places ever was Richmond, and they took that race away from us. So we need to replace it with Iowa," Skinner said. 

M-40 Update
Johnny unloaded his brand new late model on Tuesday in Jones, Michigan for a testing session.  With the help of Russ Hoekwater, Jim Kurtz, Nick Fischer, Tom Moe Jr., Ron Piechocki and Dave Zagiaski, the #10 late model was tuned up in preparation for the big race. 

Dark clouds loomed over the track for most of the early afternoon on Wednesday.  Once practice got underway, the sun broke through.  There were over 60 cars trying to qualify.  Johnny's time was good enough for 7th fastest. 

There were 50 lap qualifying races scheduled.  The 1st and 2nd qualifier had the option of sitting out the 50 lap races - but they would have to start 23rd and 24th.  Johnny ran in the first 50 lap qualifying race and started in 14th.  He put on quite a show taking the high side to pass his competitors and finish 2nd.   

The inversion for the 100 lap race was dictated by the roll of 6 dices.  19th was the magic inversion number.  For some reason, Johnny earned the spotting start of 18th due to finishing 2nd in the qualifying race.

The field was set to start 24 cars, but in the end they started 28 cars.  Quite a full field for the 3/8 mile, D shaped oval racing surface with 20-degree banking in the turns.  There was a lot of banging and spin outs as the drivers tried to position themselves.  Johnny's night ended short when he brought his Monte Carlo in the pits. 

Johnny to Race at M-40
w late model car that Johnny and Russ Hoekwater have been building is finally done.  Johnny will be competing at M-40 Speedway on Wednesday, July 4th.  Here are the photos of the #10. 

         

    

Thanks to all of the sponsors:  Exide Batteries, Aarons, Berger Chevrolet, Benson Speed Equipment, Dave Zagaiski, Frank Bolter and Johnnybenson.com.

Attention fan club members: If you attend the July 4th race at M-40 Speedway all you need to do is mailed your ticket stub to the fan club address by Wednesday, July 11th to be eligible to win.   Prize: 1:24 EXIDE Diecast and EXIDE hat.

M-40 Speedway is located in Jones, Michigan - two miles north of SR60 on M40.  Gates open at 10:00 a.m.  Practice from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.  Qualifying at 5:00 p.m.  Racing at 7:00 p.m.  For more details you can check their website at www.m40speedway.com

Detour On the Way To Florida
The Mark Fritsma Family stopped at Bill Davis Racing on their way down to Florida a couple weeks ago.  Mark reported that everyone at Bill Davis Racing was very nice.  Here's a photo of  7 year old Joel Fritsma standing next to Johnny's truck.    Thanks, Mark for sharing your photo!

Johnny Picks Stewart  
As a MSNBC contributor, Johnny predicts that Tony Stewart will be celebrating tonight in Daytona.  To view the complete article - Click Here.

Listen to the Races from M-40

JB fans can listen to the races from M-40 on 99.9 radio frequency out of Benton Harbor, Michigan.  For those who are out of the area - you can go on their website:  www.catcountry999.com    (Thanks, Dirk for the info!)

Gordon's Substitute Crew Chief does Just Fine
By:  Pete Pistone

The JBFC would like to congratulate Jeff Meendering on a job well done at New Hampshire!  From sweeping the floors to crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports.   Jeff is the son of the late Marv Meendering who was a well known crew chief at Berlin Raceway.  When Johnny was racing at Berlin Raceway, Marv was wrenching on the cars for Bruce Vanderlaan.

If Sunday's performance at New Hampshire International Speedway is any indication, missing your crew chief is no big deal in today's Nextel Cup world. 

With interim crew chief Jeff Meendering filling in for Letarte, Gordon's DuPont Chevrolet was stellar all weekend, qualifying eighth before coming home second in Sunday's 300-mile race.

Gordon felt that it wasn't just the person who was on top of the pit box that needed to rise to the occasion. "I think all of us. I did feel everybody took on a little more responsibility and stepped up just a bit and I think that's very normal when you lose your crew chief or the leader of your team," Gordon said. "Then everybody has to dig a little deeper and pay attention a little bit in more detail, and I would say that, you know, I did do my part. I didn't do anything more or anything less.

Johnny Finishes 7th in Memphis
The Craftsman Truck teams traveled to Memphis this weekend.  Johnny's qualifying time put him deep into the field in the 24th position.  Johnny made his way through the field and also gained positions with his pit stops.  Travis Kvapil won the 200 lap event.  During post-race inspection following the NASCAR officials found issue with the engine in race winner Travis Kvapil's No. 6 K&N Filters Ford. The engine will be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further evaluation next week. The issue with the engine was not disclosed.

Benson Gets Big Win as Truck Series Tightens Up
By:  John Schwarb - Special to ESPN.COM

Add Johnny Benson to the list of Craftsman Truck Series drivers making up for lost time this month.

Michigan Photos
By:  Bob Wuerfel

    

Benson, Kvapil Lead NASCAR Truck Test At Martinsville Speedway
By:  Mike Smith
 

Johnny Benson spent Friday and Saturday nights racing at the Milwaukee Mile, actually winning Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on the historic track.

Monday morning, though, he was back in uniform at another of NASCAR’s most historic tracks, Martinsville Speedway.  This time the veteran of NASCAR’s top three series wasn’t racing for points or money, though. He and fellow Craftsman Truck Series driver Travis Kvapil were on hand at the historic half-mile helping NASCAR work toward a more economic engine package for the series.

"We’re just doing the engine test for NASCAR with a couple different options they have going on," said Benson, who had five wins in the truck series in 2006, but scored his first of this season at Milwaukee.  Anytime NASCAR wants to do a test, I’m more than happy to be involved with it. I’m glad they appreciate the work we do and the input we give them so they can make the decisions they need to make to keep the series growing."

NASCAR is in the early stages of taking a look at a more economic engine package for the series that would keep smaller teams on more equal footing with larger, well-heeled teams.  "I think this is important. If they can cut costs, and they probably need to, it’s something we need to look at. The big teams will always be here, but we have to help the little guy."

Friday’s win in his Bill Davis’ Toyota was a big boost for Benson and his team.  "We’ve been running pretty good all year, but we’ve just had some odd things happen. We’ve been quick almost every track and some of the places we had failures, we were running in the top five," said Benson, who finished second in a NEXTEL Cup race at Martinsville in the 1990s and has several top five runs here in the Truck Series.  It’s been up and down for us here at Martinsville. We had some good runs. It’s a neat track with a lot of great history. The fans enjoy it … it’s bumper-tag racing a lot of the time."

Even with a long, busy weekend, Benson said he didn’t mind not having Monday off.  "It’s what we do, so it’s alright. We work on these days anyway, so it’s better to be at the track driving a race truck than sitting in the house doing that type of work. So it’s a good day for us.