Former Champion David Green To Drive #31 Whelen Monte Carlo
1994 Champ To Substitute For Benson At New Hampshire This Weekend

A former Busch Series Champion is coming to the aid of another Busch Series
Champion.

1994 Busch Series Champion David Green will fill-in for 1995 Champion Johnny
Benson in Marsh Racing’s #31 Whelen Monte Carlo on Saturday at New Hampshire International Speedway. An early-race accident caused by another driver Friday night at Richmond International Raceway left Benson with a broken rib and unable to run on the flat mile oval in Loudon, N.H this weekend.

“I hate the circumstances, but I’m excited about getting back behind the wheel
in a competitive car,” Green said. “Johnny proved this car was fast at Richmond
and I plan to show how good it can race in New Hampshire.”

James Ince, Benson’s Winston Cup crew chief, will continue to serve in the same role with Marsh Racing. Ince will also utilize crewmembers from Benson’s #10 Valvoline Pontiac as a pit crew during the Busch race. Green and Ince worked together in the Winston Cup Series at Tyler Jet Motorsports. The duo earned a pole at Homestead in 1999.

“James and I worked well together in Winston Cup. He knows what I want in a car and I know what kind of feedback he is looking for from me. If I know James he plans to go to Loudon and win the pole then win the race on Saturday.”

Green’s only start of the 2002 season came at Daytona where the 44-year-old
Owensboro, Ky. native started second and finished 18th driving for Tommy
Baldwin Racing.

Green joined the Busch Series in 1991 earning the pole at Daytona in his first
race and earning his first victory in his 12th race at Lanier Speedway in
Georgia. Green finished second to Jeff Gordon in Rookie of the Year honors that season. The 5-time winner earned his championship in 1994 then fell only 29 points short of earning a second title in 1996 – the same year he was voted
the series’ most popular driver by the fans. His 19 career pole positions ranks
fourth all time.

Benson said his return to the Busch Series this season was about winning both at the Busch Series level and Winston Cup level where he drives the #10
Valvoline Pontiac. On Thursday at Richmond he was the fastest Busch car in
practice before rain cancelled qualifying. His Winston Cup car was fastest in
two consecutive practices late Friday afternoon as well.

Because of his injury, Benson said he is unsure what his plans are this season
regarding the Busch Series.

“I think we learned a lot by running both series,” Benson said. “We got wrecked
in the race and we never got a chance to show what we could do. Sure I wish I
could run this weekend, but my goal is to get well. David will do a good job in
the Whelen Monte Carlo and I hope what he and James learn will transfer over to our effort in the Valvoline Pontiac in the Cup garage.”

This weekend’s race in New Hampshire is in the backyard of team sponsor Whelen Engineering. For more than 40 years, the Chester, Conn. company has provided innovative emergency lighting and siren products in the automotive, aviation, industrial, emergency management, and traffic management markets. Whelen is a sponsor in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series as well as the official supplier of safety lights for Pontiac’s NASCAR Winston Cup pace cars. Whelen’s emergency warning lights are also visible on the Official NASCAR safety vehicles as well as the safety vehicles used at most Busch and Winston Cup tracks.

Busch 200
New Hampshire International Raceway

Saturday, May 11, 2002

12:30 p.m. ET

TV: FX Radio: MRN


Schedule of Events

Friday, May 10, 2002
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Practice
3:30 p.m. Qualifying (2 Laps, All Positions)
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Happy Hour

Saturday, May 11, 2002
12:15 p.m. Driver Introductions
1:00 p.m. Busch 200 (200 Laps, 211.6 Miles)

RACE FACTS

WHAT: BUSCH 200, NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division Series Race #11
of 34

WHERE: New Hampshire International Speedway, 1.058-Mile Paved Oval

WHEN: Saturday, May 11, 2002

DISTANCE: 211.6 Miles / 200 Laps

POSTED AWARDS: $817,692

FIELD: Field consists of the fastest 36 cars through time trials. Also, seven
provisional starting positions based on 2002 owner points, for maximum 43-car
field. The 43rd position is reserved for a past NASCAR Busch Series champion, if needed. If unused, it will go to the next eligible owner.

SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)

PROMOTER: New Hampshire Speedway, Inc.

TV: FX (Live), Race Airtime: 1:00 p.m. ET, Host: Mike Joy, Announcers:
Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds, Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve
Byrnes and Matt Yocum

RADIO: MRN Radio (Live), Airtime: 12:30 p.m. ET, Announcers: Kurt Becker and Dave Moody, Turn Reporters: Mike Bagley and Steve Parker, Pit Reporters: Jason Toy, Adam Alexander and Tony Rizzuti

RECORDS: Qualifying: 130.716 mph - Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, May 11, 2001,
Race: 108.714 mph - Jason Keller, Ford, May 12, 2001

THE TRACK: The New Hampshire International Speedway operated by the Bahre family since opening in 1990, hosted a NASCAR Busch Series race as it’s first event. The track hosted two races a year for three seasons, but replaced one event with a NASCAR Winston Cup race in 1993. The track is a 1.058-mile oval, with 12 degrees of banking in the corners and 2 degrees of banking on the straightaways. The front and backstretch length is 1500 feet.

2001 RACE REVIEW:

Bud Pole: Kevin Harvick, 130.716 mph, 29.138 seconds TRACK RECORD
Time of Race: 1 hour, 56 minutes, 47 seconds
Average Speed: 108.714 mph RACE RECORD
Margin of Victory: 2.286 seconds
Lead Changes: 5 lead changes among 5 drivers
Caution Flags: 4 cautions for 22 laps

LAST 10 RACE WINNERS & POLESITTERS:

Year Race Winner Polesitter

2001 Jason Keller Kevin Harvick
2000 Tim Fedewa Tim Fedewa
1999 Elton Sawyer Jeff Green
1998 Buckshot Jones Joe Bessey
1997 Mike McLaughlin Randy LaJoie
1996 Randy LaJoie David Green
1995 Chad Little Mike McLaughlin
1994 Derrike Cope Bobby Labonte
1993 Robert Pressley Joe Nemechek
1992 Joe Nemechek Ernie Irvan


NOTES OF INTEREST:

· Jeff Burton has led more miles (422.80) than any NASCAR Busch Series
driver this season, even though he has started only four of 10 races. Burton is
entered in the Busch 200.

· NASCAR Busch points leader Jason Keller already has established a
personal career-best mark for victories in a season, with three. Keller started
this season with five career NASCAR Busch victories, with a previous
season-high of two victories in 1999.

· Keller comes into the Busch 200 with a 34-point lead over second-place
Jack Sprague (1,482-1,448).

· Keller has a series-leading seven top-five finishes.

· The NASCAR Busch Series officially began in 1982 but the circuit has
52-year-old roots. The series originally was known as the NASCAR Sportsman
Division when it was formed in 1950; it became the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division in 1968, and then became the NASCAR Busch Series in 1982. The first NASCAR Busch Series race was held Feb. 13, 1982 at Daytona International Speedway, won by Dale Earnhardt. Jack Ingram was the first NASCAR Busch Series champion. The Busch 200 will be the 607th race in the history of the NASCAR Busch Series.