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NASCAR WCUP: Benson Up And Down Scoring Monitor At Charlotte

9 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

If NASCAR Winston Cup racing were scored like roller derby where you get points for passing your competitors, then Johnny Benson's #10 Aaron's Pontiac would have scored more points than anyone Sunday at Lowes Motor Speedway.

Benson came up through the field three times in his drive to eighth-place marking his third top-10 finish in the last five races.

"I think me and (Mark Martin) were driving from the back all day," said Benson after climbing from the Aaron's Pontiac. "We were good all day. It's just tough to have to come up through the field here."

Benson started Sunday's race at the 1.5-mile track in ninth place and moved to sixth in the first 20 laps. But during a lap-35 pit stop under caution, NASCAR penalized Benson for speeding on pit road.

A frustrated Benson pointed out other cars that passed him on the pit lane weren't penalized.

"I hated that we got that penalty early in the race," Benson said. "I'm still trying to figure out why we got it, I mean I know the reasoning, but I mean the penalty itself. I'm not sure why a bunch of the other guys didn't get it. But, I think we recovered ok, and it didn't seem to be a factor later in the race anyway."

He dropped to 36th.

"Don't get impatient," cautioned Crew Chief James Ince. "We have a good car today. You are back there running with junk so just be patient and we will be back up to the front in just a bit."

Benson did just that.

By lap 92, he moved to 15th place and at lap 179 the Grand Rapids, Mich. native moved to fourth. He again appeared ready to make a bid for the lead but more pit road maladies struck.

Seconds after Benson pulled into the pit, Mark Martin struck Benson's front tire carrier forcing him to the ground. Although the carrier was not injured the incident dramatically slowed the team's pit stop and Benson returned to the track in 14th.

"Okay, lets just do like we did before," counseled Ince who also had words for the Martin pit after the incident. "We did it before and we can do it again."

By lap 275, Benson moved into seventh this time benefiting by a 16-second pit stop by his MB2 Motorsports crew. He appeared assured of a top-10 finish when a caution flag flew with less than 30 laps left in the race.

While some in the back of the field gambled taking on only two tires, Benson and Ince elected to take four. It meant, again, Benson would have to drive through traffic. And, just like the previous times, he sliced through the field swapping places with Steve Park, Ward Burton, and Jeff Burton in an exciting dual down to the end.

Jeremy Mayfield took two tires and gamely held on to the lead until Bobby Labonte passed him with four laps remaining. Benson said the four-tire move was the right one.

"The guy that won it took on four so we had to take on four. The car was working good on four. We weren't sure how it would do on two and we didn't want to take that gamble. We figured we would finish in the top ten and maybe get in the top five but it just didn't happen."

Benson managed to get to eighth place when the checkered flag fell. Not a bad day considering all the obstacles he had to overcome.

"It was a good run for this Aaron's Pontiac and the crew all day long," said Benson who remains 14th in the driver standings. "If it wasn't for a little slipping and sliding there at the end I think we could have had a top-five finish. But all in all everybody did a good job."

Sunday's race saw 14 leaders swapping the lead 46 times - the most of the season. Jeremy Mayfield held on for second, while Ricky Rudd, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin rounded out the top-5

The Winston Cup Series returns to action Sunday on the superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.

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.