Pennzoil Race Driver, Johnny Benson Compares

04/03/96

After wining the Busch Grand National NASCAR series in 1995 Johnny Benson, the young lion with the countenance of Wilbur the Librarian joined the Pennzoil Bahari Winston Cup race team for the 1996 season. Benson who sat on the pole at Atlanta two weeks ago explained the difference between the two professional stock car racing series..and the cars.

"There are three basic differences between my 30 Pennzoil Pontiac and a Busch car. The Winston Cup car has a 5 inch longer wheelbase, weighs 100 pounds more and has more horsepower. Some drivers think the biggest changes are dealing with more power and aerodynamics, but for me adjusting to the longer wheelbase is the most noticeable difference. The extra five inches effects the cars turning radius.

Competion-wise, in a Winston Cup car if your are off a little, you are junk. In a Busch car you can make some changes and adapt to the situation. All the drivers in Winston Cup and the Busch series are very good, but the guys in Winston Cup are extremely good. It seems like they run faster, longer in Winston. I don't know if that's a testimony to the cars or to the drivers or both, but it makes it hard on a rookie."

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel