Johnny Benson and his Red Horse Racing team showed why they are a championship team during the American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Running in the top-10 for most of the 130-lap event, Benson was cited with a speeding penalty on his last pit stop of the day. Forced to restart at the tail end of the longest line with only 13 laps to go, Benson clawed his way from the 14^th position to finish ninth when the checkered flag waved. His ninth place finish earned the #1 team its first top-10 finish of the season and moved them from 19^th to 12^th in Camping World Truck Series driver point standings.   

After qualifying 18^th, Johnny Benson and his #1 Red Horse Racing team were ready for battle at one of their favorite tracks. When the green flag dropped on the American Commercial Lines 200, Benson was on the move. It was evident he knew his way around Atlanta Motor Speedway as he picked up five positions in the first 15 laps. On lap 21, Benson radioed the crew that his #1 Toyota Tundra was loose getting in the corners and then quickly became tight in the middle of the corners. Asking for an air pressure adjustment on the first pit stop, Benson continued his forward progress by cracking the top-10 on lap 23.  

The caution flag flew for the first time on lap 29 for debris on the racetrack. Crew chief Trip Bruce called his driver to pit road for four tires and air pressure adjustments the first time by. Coming back in the following lap for fuel, the team also checked the nose of the truck to make sure the grill was clean. Benson restarted 10^th. 

Still making progress through the field, Benson took over the seventh position on lap 56 but reported that the truck was still very tight in the center and developing a loose off condition.

Another caution came out for debris on lap 66 and Benson took the opportunity to hit pit road for more adjustments. Taking four fresh tires and a track bar adjustment on lap 68, Benson returned to pit road on lap 69 to fill up with fuel. An efficient pit stop by the crew put Benson in the sixth spot for the restart.  

Shortly after reaching the fifth position, another caution came out on lap 73 for a spin on the racetrack. Bruce told his driver to stay out. When the field went green again, Benson radioed the crew that the tight center-off condition was worsening. Struggling to hold onto the sixth position, Bruce knew he had to make a major change on the final stop. He got that chance on lap 113 when the caution flag flew for debris.  

Benson pitted for his final set of tires and air pressure adjustments on lap 115. Despite being very close on fuel, Bruce took a gamble and told his driver not to come back in for fuel. The move would have given Benson track position but NASCAR cited the  #1 Toyota Tundra for speeding onto pit road. Although not agreeing with the penalty, Benson opted to hit pit road and take a splash of gas and a track bar adjustment since he had to restart at the tail end of the longest line to serve his penalty.  

Restarting 14^th, Benson did not give up. He fought hard for each position, eventually reaching ninth before the checkered flag flew. The team was frustrated by the penalty but was relieved to earn a top-10 finish after facing such adversity.  

“We had a top-five truck here today and I thought before that penalty that we could have a shot at the win,” said Benson. “Unfortunately, NASCAR said we were speeding and we lost several spots. I had my work cut out for me there at the end but I’m glad we were able to get inside the top-10. That will be a boost for these guys after the start of the season we’ve had. We’ll go on to Martinsville in a couple weeks and get an even better finish there.” 

The NASCAR Camping World Series heads to Martinsville, Virginia in two weeks. The Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, March 28th. It will be televised on FOX at 2:00 p.m. EST.     

JOHNNY BENSON QUICK FACTS
Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
March 7, 2009 

·         The American Commercial Lines 200 will mark Johnny Benson’s eighth Camping World Truck Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). In seven previous starts, Benson has logged 30 laps led and earned three top-five and four top- 10 finishes.  

·         Benson is no stranger to the front row at the Hampton, GA 1.54-mile speedway. When qualifying was rained out, he earned the pole for the fall 2008 race and has started five of his eight races at AMS from inside the top-10. He has never taken the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway but he’s hoping to change that fact this weekend.  

·         Benson is ready to get back to his winning ways despite a rough start to the season. After getting caught up in an accident and finishing 26th at Daytona International Speedway and earning a 12^th place finish at California Speedway, Benson is more than ready to flex his championship muscle and find his way back to Victory Lane. 

Benson on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway “We’re really looking forward to Atlanta. This should be the perfect track to kick start the season because we always seem to run well there. I’ve earned second, third, and fourth place finishes there but I’m still looking for that elusive win. We’ve had the truck to do it several times but bad luck has taken us out of contention. I’m hopeful this is the weekend to finally make it happen.”  

Champion Crew Chief Trip Bruce on Atlanta Motor Speedway “Atlanta should be a great race for us. We’re taking chassis #73 which has become Johnny’s workhorse. We brought it over from Bill Davis Racing because it’s one of his favorite trucks. He would rather race #73 than anything else because it’s a proven winner. We took it to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.” 

Equipment Information The No. 1 Red Horse Racing team will compete with chassis # 73 in the American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis Benson took to victory lane at Michigan International Speedway in 2006 and Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007. 

Series Champion Seeks Sponsorship Partner

The reigning 2008 Camping World Series Champion is still seeking sponsorship for his No.1 Tundra. Red Horse Racing is currently running both the #1 Toyota Tundra driven by defending Champion Johnny Benson as well as the #11 driven by TJ Bell, without primary sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship opportunities either the #1 or the #11 please contact Tom DeLoach at 704-662-0039