---

NASCAR WCUP: Add Benson To List of Frustrated Drivers At Martinsville

3 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

#10 Aaron's Pontiac driver Johnny Benson finished 19th but he felt just like every other NASCAR Winston Cup driver after racing for 500 laps on the half-mile flat track at Martinsville, Va.

"I'm frustrated," Benson said seconds after climbing from a battered car that finished a lap down to winner Tony Stewart.

"Martinsville really hasn't changed that much over the last few years," he said. "It's just a tough place to pass. Everyone gets frustrated because it is so hard pass. But you know that going in."

Even being patient will not make you immune to the bumping and grinding of short track racing. And sometimes gambles just don't turn out as you hope.

Benson experienced both on Sunday.

The Grand Rapids, Mich. driver began the race in 33rd position and appeared destined for a good day. He moved from 33rd to 21st by the time a lap-117 caution allowed everyone to pit. Crew Chief James Ince decided to start gambling early in the race and elected to put on only two tires. The quick stop returned Benson to the track in ninth place.

"We might try to alternate the rest of the day," Ince said. "It's a gamble but we have to gamble to get you up there. We will see how it goes."

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Benson to report the downside of taking on only two tires. He told Ince he was "sliding everywhere" and that "I don't think two tires is the way to go."

While pointing out that sliding around on two tires in 10th is preferable to running with four tires in 21st., Ince told Benson he would only do the two-tire stops if track position were vital and the gamble worth the risk.

Benson hovered around the 14th place for most of the early going. Another two-tire stop at lap 287 vaulted him to fifth before he started sliding back to 16th less than 80 laps later. That's when the day started to go bad for the MB2 Motorsports team. Those problems encountered on just two tires seemed to remain when four new tires were bolted on the car.

"We seem to have lost our sidebite and I'm out of brakes," reported Benson. "It seems when I'm tight I'm fast and when I'm loose I'm junk."

Benson and the crew managed to ride out the rest of the race preserving the brakes and staying on the lead lap until lap 439. Only 15 cars finished on the lead lap. Benson brought the Aaron's car home with a 19th-place finish.

Of course, it wouldn't be Martinsville without some beating and banging. There were 13 caution periods for 88 laps. Benson's car included a wheel mark on the left side from Casey Atwood collision early in the race and the left front was heavily damaged when Benson was part of Dale Earnhardt Jr's. late race accident with Dave Blaney.

"We just had an off-day. I thought we were going to be a little better than we were, but we just weren't that good. It was just one of those days," said Benson. "We tried a little of everything, but we were just off a little bit. I need to qualify better. We got ourselves up there, but we just weren't quite right enough for Martinsville today."

Benson said the two-tire strategy worked for several other cars but just didn't seem to work on his Aaron's Pontiac.

"Speed-wise they claimed it (two tires) was about the same, but drive-wise it was very, very hard to drive. Our car just wasn't geared for two tires. We weren't overly special on four and two was not even as good as that."

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series heads to Charlotte next weekend for the UAW/GM Quality 500 Oct. 8 at Lowes Motors Speedway.

Text Provided By Drew Brown

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.