NHRA: Honor bestowed on Benza after career-best weekend

READING, Pa. (Oct. 5) -- Pro Stock driver Bob Benza posted career-best
numbers this weekend during the 17th annual running of the Pep Boys NHRA
Nationals at historic Maple Grove Raceway. Unfortunately, the
41-year-old from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., still couldn’t crack the
quickest Pro Stock field ever assembled, coming up .037 seconds short of
his goal. The team did take some solace, however, in the fact that NHRA
officials named Benza’s 2001 Pontiac Grand Am as the Best Appearing Car
of the race.

Benza best qualifying numbers showed an impressive 6.868-second pass at
200.80 mph, marking the first time he was able to crack the 200-mph
barrier in his driving career. But the record bump spot for the field of
16 cars that advanced to Sunday’s elimination action was set at a
lightning-quick 6.831 seconds.

Despite the personal highs achieved on the race track and the accolades
bestowed on him when the action had concluded, the competitive side of
Benza wouldn’t allow him to celebrate the moment.

“Running personal best times and speeds means nothing to me,” Benza
said. “If we had run a 6.83 at 201.40 mph like we were capable of
running, then I would be very happy right now. But we didn’t make the
exact calls we needed to make when the opportunity presented itself and
so we’re going home early. Not qualifying for this event takes away any
joy I might have felt for running my best time and speed.

“I think we’ve reached a point where we need to hire a fulltime crew
chief that can dedicate 100-percent of his time to making us as
competitive as we can be. I don’t think we can get a whole lot better
than we are now without some help. I just can’t continue to come to
events and not race on Sunday. That’s not what we’re out here for. It’s
no fun for us to be torturing ourselves like this. We’ll get better.
It’ll just take a little more time.”