SIXTH-PLACE  FINISH AT DARLINGTON POINTS
 TEAM YELLOW IN RIGHT DIRECTION

DARLINGTON, SC – Even though the finish wasn’t what he had envisioned in Saturday’s Diamond Hill Plywood 200, Johnny Benson left Darlington Raceway in a good mood.  "I really feel good about the direction of the Yellow Transportation team,” said Benson after rallying to finish sixth.   “After the problems we had with the car at Rockingham and Las Vegas, I believe we have found what we need to really run well the rest of the year.

“The Yellow Transportation Dodge was real good early in the run, then it would fall off a little bit as the car would get a little tight,” added Benson.   “But then at end of the run, we would be really good.”   Because of how well the car was performing, Benson and the Yellow team felt they had an excellent chance of winning the Darlington event.   And when Benson took the lead on lap 84, they all thinking “Yes We Can.”

           
And even when Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle got around him to drop Benson to third with 55 laps to go in the 147-lap event, everyone was still very optimistic as Benson had told the team via the radio “I’m going to save the tires and let the 9 (Burton) and 60 (Biffle) go.   On a long run, I think we’re going to be okay.”

But a major problem to the team’s victory aspirations developed during the fourth and last yellow flag on lap 101. As Benson got ready to make what everyone knew was going to be the team’s final pit stop, Benson told the crew “Just give me a stop like the last one.   That was great (as he got out in front of Biffle and Burton).”

But the lug nuts on the left rear tire would not come off as smoothly as they are supposed to do.   As a result, the team had a long, long pit stop – 25.37 seconds – to drop Benson from third to 14^th.   There were 42 laps to go when the green flag came out for the last stop.   With 30 laps remaining, Benson had moved up to tenth.   Ten laps later, he was eighth.   But he told crew chief Jon Wolfe, “I’ve burned the tires off, but,” a determined Benson quickly added, “I’m going to keep burning.”

On the last lap, Benson attempted to get around David Stremme.  “He was determined I was not going to pass him,” said Benson.   “He put his left side tires on the apron, forcing me to go even lower.  We hit, and I felt we were both going to spin and wreck so I had to back out of it.”

This forced Benson and the Yellow team to settle for sixth place.  "Great job, Johnny” said Phoenix Racing general manager Marc Reno and the team’s spotter.   “You drove the wheels off.   We’re sorry about the pit stop.   But we’ll get them next time.”

"Don’t worry about it,” replied Benson.   “Those things happen.  It wasn’t anybody’s fault.   We all know we had a great car, and we can leave here knowing we had as good a car as anybody out there.”

The next race for the Yellow Transportation team is the Sharpie Professional 200 on March 27 at Bristol (Tn.) Motor Speedway