Benson Indy Test & Pocono Advance
It's Indy-Pocono-Indy In The Next Nine Days Benson: Indy Test Will Help Pocono Race Which In Turn Helps Indy Race #10 Valvoline Pontiac driver Johnny Benson will spend Tuesday and Wednesday testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before heading to Pocono for Sunday’s race. The test followed by the Pocono race is the perfect preparation for Indy. But Benson and his crew chief James Ince believe the Indy test will also make all of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams faster at Pocono. The Series visited Pocono only six weeks ago. It’s the shortest period between point races at the same track. Benson On Pocono-Indy Relationship: “The Indy test is important but if you go to Pocono and run good that’s the car you will take to Indy. If you run badly at Pocono then you take a different car. The tracks are that similar. I don’t think NASCAR designed it like that. It’s just the way it fell on the schedule. It would be nice if there was a week in between so you could really get your car like you want it after Pocono.” Benson On Pocono Expectations: “Pocono is Pocono. We know that track as well as any. We race there twice a year just a few weeks apart. Nobody can complain we aren’t familiar with Pocono.” Benson On Indy Test: “At Indy we are testing aerodynamics, shocks, springs, and all the normal stuff. We are trying to get the rhythm of the race track. It’s tough place to get around, it’s tough to be consistent. Then, on top of all that you have to be fast. You have to do everything you can there because that track changes so much that you have to be prepared for just about any track conditions.” James Ince On How This Week’s Indianapolis Test Will Help At Pocono: “The Indianapolis test is really a test for two race tracks. Yeah, we are at Indy, but if you look at the qualifying times from Pocono last time and compare it to what will happen on Friday you’ll see the entire field will be faster. That’s because Indy and Pocono are so similar that you go to Indy and learn what makes a fast race car and it all applies to Pocono also.” Ince On Pocono: “It’s not a heat race for Indy. Pocono is a good race. We enjoy being there. Pocono is a rougher race track and you have to be a little bit better on your chassis there than you do at Indy. There are never any surprises at Pocono. It’ s probably going to be a little hotter and a little slicker. You know the things you go to work on you know the parts of the track you have to be right on. Pocono isn’t a place that provides a lot of surprises.” Ince On Secret To Indy: “I’m not sure I know the secret to running well at Indy. It is such a temperature sensitive track. For me personally, it’s a place where I haven’t got the rhythm of the race so I can help the driver a little bit better. Theoretically, if you run well at Pocono you should run well at Indy. That’s what this week’s test is going to be all about. Maybe I can learn that rhythm.” THE RACE: Pennsylvania 500 Winston Cup Race #20 of 36 for the 2001 season Race: Sunday, July 29, 2001 in Long Pond, PA TV: TNT - 1:00pm/et Pre-Race Show: 12:30pm/et - Hosted by Bill Weber Announcers: Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach Pit Reporters: Bill Weber, Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, Dave Burns 2000 Race Winner: Rusty Wallace, 130.662mph Race Speed Record: Rusty Wallace, July 1996, 144.892mph Track/Race Length: 2.5 tri-oval, 200 laps, 500 miles Pit Road Speed: 55mph ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Practice Practice: Friday, July 27th 11:00am - ?1:00pm/et Happy Hour Practice: Saturday, July 28th, 12:00-1:00pm/et, TV-TNT at ?:00pm/et ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Qualifying Qualifying Draw: Friday, July 27th, 10:00am/et First Round Qualifying: 1 lap(?) for positions 1-36, Friday, July 27th at 3:00pm/et, TV-CNN/SI NASCAR.com will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Winston Cup qualifying via the web Second-Round Qualifying: there is no longer a 2nd round of qualifying Track Qualifying Record: Tony Stewart, July 2000, 172.391mph Last Year's Pole Sitter: Tony Stewart, 172.391mph ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Track Specs: Superspeedway: 2.5 mile tri-oval Banking: turn 1: 14 degrees, turn 2: 8 degree, turn 3: 6 degrees; Straights: Front - 3740 feet, Long Pond(between turns 1 and 2) - 3055 feet, North(between turns 2 and 3) - 1780 feet Contact: Drew Brown 1335 Torrence Circle Davidson, NC 28036 704-895-3651 H 704-906-7992 C drew_brown@mindspring.com