Valvoline Team Quicker Than Even It Expected

#10 Valvoline Pontiac driver Johnny Benson shook his head when he saw Bill Elliott run a 49.042-second lap in the early going Saturday during single-lap qualifying at Daytona.

With the NASCAR Winston Cup Series first qualifying session of the year, there was more uncertainty than certainty.

"That's impressive," Benson said. "I thought we were going to be good, but geez they are going fast."

He and Crew Chief James Ince hoped they could run about a 49.50-second lap which they figured would earn a top-15 qualifying position. But as car after car began turning in quicker speeds than they ran in practice, there was a degree of concern among the Valvoline team.

The team began to wonder if their car would be able to pick up the pace like the others. Benson watched 35 cars make qualifying attempts and when it finally came time for his turn in front of the fans and a national television audience he didn't disappoint.

His first lap was 49.76 seconds then on the second lap, with momentum built up, Benson posted a 49.453-second lap surpassing his goal and good enough to qualify him for 12th position.

"Sure we are happy," Benson said. "James and these guys have worked hard even before they came down here testing in January. I think we were about 30th in testing and they took the car home and worked on it and worked on it and made it a 12th-place car."

For Ince the good qualifying run means they can practice drafting and put the car in race trim on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday practices.

"We don't get back on the track until Monday, but we are going to start working on 50-lap runs," Ince said. "Our next mission is to win the 125 race."

As of early Saturday afternoon, Benson's starts sixth in the second of Thursday's two qualifying races. Where he finishes in that race determines his starting spot in the Daytona 500. Benson's good run Saturday virtually assures him of a starting spot next Sunday no matter what happens in Thursday's qualifying races.

Elliott's time was good enough to earn the pole. Only Elliott and Jerry Nadeau who qualified second earned starting spots for the Daytona 500. The rest of the field will be determined by finishing order in the qualifying race, single lap qualifying and provisionals.