Johnny Benson

Bill Davis Racing Event Preview

Race/Date:    Silverado 350K – Nov. 2, 2007

Location:       Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas

Johnny Benson and his No. 23 TCUV team headed to Texas Motor Speedway looking to extend their streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes.

After making several adjustments during the practice sessions Thursday morning, Benson and his team knew they had their work cut out for them in qualifying.  The team needed to qualify well at the hard-to-pass track, so it diligently prepared for Thursday night’s qualifying session.

Benson was one of the last competitors to qualify and knew he had a good chance to qualify near the front of the field.  His lap of 29.399 seconds put the No. 23 TCUV Tundra in the fourth position for the start of Friday night’s race.

After the green flag waved over the 36-truck field Friday night, the No. 23 team knew something was wrong when it couldn’t hear Benson over the radio.  The radio inside the No. 23 Tundra was not working, and the TCUV team anxiously awaited the first caution, which began on lap three.  With time to spare, Benson grabbed the backup radio in the truck and replaced the faulty radio.  Now that he was able to hear his team clearly, Benson shifted his focus to the racetrack.

Benson held onto his Tundra and kept it from wrecking after getting forced into the wall on lap 10.  His next issue to face was a tight handling condition.  A caution on lap 40 allowed the No. 23 team a chance to remedy the handling issue.  The crew made air pressure, wedge and trackbar adjustments during the four-tire stop.  Benson restarted seventh and began his charge to the front.

Maintaining his position well on the track, Benson drove hard despite fighting a semi-tight handling truck.  He pitted again for fuel only after the caution flag waved on lap 69. 

On lap 83, Benson reported to his crew that he felt as if he had a flat tire, because he immediately began moving backward in the field.  Two laps later, the engine of the No. 23 Tundra expired, forcing the team from the race early.  Benson was credited with a 27th-place finish.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend.  The race will be televised live on SPEED, Nov. 9.

NOTES:

• This week’s race truck for Texas Motor Speedway is Chassis No. 23-73.  This is the same truck Benson drove to a third-place finish last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

• Money Mark… After finishing third in last week’s Atlanta race, Benson became the 17th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor to reach the $2 million mark in career winnings.  Benson has won $2,005,743.

• Sponsor Alert...  The No. 23 Tundra will once again sport the red colors of TCUV this weekend at Texas.  TCUV sold its 2,000,000th vehicle this past week, marking the first time a manufacturer has made such an achievement.

• On a Roll…  Benson and his No. 23 team have had two wins, five top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes in the last seven races.

• Point Standings…  Benson has quickly climbed the NCTS Championship standings.  He now stands in the fourth position.

• Newcomer…  Earlier this week, BDR announced that it had signed Phillip McGilton, former ARCA RE/MAX Series driver, to drive the No. 22 Tundra next year in the NCTS. 

• Listen and watch…  The Silverado 350K is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET Friday, Nov. 2.  It will broadcast on the Speed Channel (TV), MRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128).

Johnny Benson on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“We are looking forward to Texas.  We always seem to run well there in the trucks, and we have been on a roll these past few weeks.  If we can run as competitive as we have in the last seven races, we definitely have a shot to win.  We are going to need a good qualifying run in order to finish well, though.  Texas is notorious for being a place where it is hard to pass, so starting up front will give us an advantage.  Hopefully we can keep the momentum we have going right now through the rest of the year.”