Benson loses
Busch wheels
By Steve Kaminski - The
Grand Rapids Press
Johnny Benson Jr.'s run
with Phoenix Racing in the NASCAR Busch Grand National
Series came to an end Monday. Why the split and
what's next are two questions that have yet to be
answered.
Team officials refused
comment Monday, and Benson could not be reached for
comment. Benson's sister, Barb Benson, who operates the
Johnny Benson Fan Club, confirmed that Benson and the
James Finch-owned team have parted ways. She said she and
her family couldn't comment on the news at this time,
adding only that Benson will no longer be driving Finch's
Busch or Nextel Cup cars.
Benson did find himself
back behind the wheel of a Cup car on Monday, however,
since he was testing the No. 96 Cal Wells car at Lowe's
Motor Speedway. Jayski.com reported that Wells, who
already fields a car for Ricky Craven, is looking to
secure sponsorship for a second car and hire Benson to
pilot it later in the season.
Benson, a Grand Rapids
native, returned to the Busch circuit this winter after
spending the past eight seasons in Winston Cup. He is
currently 17th in the Busch standings through 10 races.
Benson, 39, hosts the
weekly Inside Nextel Cup hour-long program on the Speed
Channel with fellow drivers Michael Waltrip and Kenny
Schrader each Monday night. The subject of his departure
with Phoenix was not discussed on the show, either. He is
coming off a 29th place finish at last Saturday's race at
Gateway International Raceway.
"We had problems with the
gear shift coming loose, and we got that fixed," Benson
said on the television show. "But halfway through, we had
engine failure. It wasn't our day. It ran hot. We ran into
the back of Mark Green, and it just ran a little warm, and
it broke. It was nothing the engine guys did, it just ran
warm and finally didn't make it."
Bgnracing.com reported that
Nextel Cup regular Jamie McMurray will be racing Finch's
No. 1 Yellow Transportation Dodge in this weekend's Busch
race at Richmond. Benson currently trails front-running
Martin Truex Jr. by 412 points.
Benson's Busch highlights
this spring include winning the pole at Rockingham in
February. However, he was forced to the rear of the field
at the race's start when his right front coil failed to
meet regulations during inspection. His best finish came
at Texas on April 3 when he placed fourth overall for his
only top five.
Benson also started four of
the 10 Nextel Cup races with Finch. He was a full-timer in
NASCAR's top level since earning the division's rookie of
the year honors in 1996. Benson won his first and only Cup
race to date at Rockingham in November of 2002 with MBV
Motorsports.
Benson struggled through
the 2003 season and was released at the end of the season.
He signed up with Finch in mid-January, only a month prior
to the start of the season.
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