July 17 Preview: Johnny Benson Night;
Auto Value Outlaw Winged Midgets to make first visit to Berlin

MARNE, MI - Johnny Benson will return to his home track on Saturday, July 17, his third visit during the 2004 season. The night has been dubbed Johnny Benson night in his honor. In addition, the  Auto Value Outlaw Winged Midget Series, originally scheduled for May 8 but rained out, will come to Berlin Raceway for the first time in history.

Benson will try to make it back-to-back wins after winning the 125-lap Meijer/Tony's Pizza Spring Memorial in June, the longest Coors Light Late Model race ever at Berlin Raceway. Benson sports an impressive record at Berlin in recent years, with three victories, eight top fives and 10 top 10's in 12 races since 2001. His wins came on August 14, 2002, May 1, 2003 and June 16, 2004 against a strong Berlin Raceway Coors Light Late Model field. He has not finished out of the top 5 since 2002.

A new race format will be introduced for this event: the Coors Light Late Model feature will consist of an 80-lap race broken down into Twin 40's. After the first 40-lap leg, a mandatory caution flag will be thrown and cars will be allowed a 5-minute pit stop for adjustments. After the pit stop, the cars will return to the frontstretch and the top 10 positions will draw a random number between 1 and 10 to set their starting position for the second 40-lap leg.

The mandatory caution for pits was first introduced at Berlin on June 16 during a 125-lap race, when refueling was required to complete the race. It was met with great success as it was exciting for fans and productive for teams to have the ability to make adjustments. Previously the only races that required the use of pit road were ASA and ARCA races of 200 or more laps.

The random drawing for start position for the second leg is new to Berlin and is reminiscent of the NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star race at Charlotte in May, which has used several formats to mix up positions for greater fan excitement. The drawing will be done on the frontstretch over the Public Address system for all fans to enjoy and cheer on their favorite driver.

Finally, the Auto Value Outlaw Winged Midgets will make their first-ever appearance at Berlin Raceway on July 17. Unlike other midget series that have raced at Berlin, including the USAC Midgets and NAMARS Midgets, the Auto Value Outlaw Winged Midgets have wings on their cars, making them faster and more visible on the track. These cars have alcohol burning engines and require push starts on the track. Their speeds are expected to rival Berlin's top Coors Light Late Model division, possibly running up to one second faster per lap with anticipated 14-second lap times.

The AVOWM series will conduct a pre-race autograph session with cars on the track, so fans can get a close-up view of the midgets. Points leader Ike Beasley is a name to watch, as the driver has won all five of the series' races this season. Former Berlin driver Jake Meyerink, who finished 11th in Coors Light Late Model points at Berlin in 2003, is currently fifth in series points and will be another name to watch at the July 17 race. The series races at short tracks in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana with the goal of developing future major league motorsports drivers. Midget racing is seen as a stepping stone to the Indy Racing League ranks.

Also competing on July 17 will be Berlin's Engine Pro Super Stock and Standale Lumber Sportsman divisions. The Engine Pro Super Stocks will conduct an on-track autograph session as well.

Tickets to the July 17 event are $15 in advance and $16 at the door. Children 3-12 are half price and 2 and under are free. Pit passes are $25. Tickets can be purchased at the Berlin Raceway administrative office (2060 Berlin Fair Drive, Marne, MI) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday as well as at the Box Office on racedays. Tickets are also available online at www.berlinraceway.com and at www.ticketmaster.com. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the first race begins at 7 p.m.