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NASCAR WCUP: Benson To Start 27th In Sunday's Daytona 500

19 February 2000

Johnny Benson climbed out of the #10 Tyler Jet Motorsports Pontiac and breathed a big sigh of relief.

So did his team.

"Man, that was close," he said.

Benson's run Thursday in the first of the twin 125-mile qualifying races started out great when he was running in the top six, but turned sour late in the race when a handling condition dropped the 4-year veteran to 14th place. Only 15 cars transferred to Sunday's Daytona 500 so Benson had little margin for error in the closing laps although he would have made the field based on his single lap qualifying time set last Saturday.

Benson was philosophical after the race.

"You have to remember our goal this week has been to make this race and that's just what we did," Benson said. "Late in the race the car got real real tight and it was hard to turn. A few cars got by me, but there was no way I was going to push the car too hard and cut a tire or wreck. That was just qualifying, Sunday is for the money."

The 14th-place finish means Benson will begin Sunday's Daytona 500 in 27th position.

"I think we have a good car," he said. "It pushed real bad like everyone else, but I would rather it push today than Sunday. We will make some changes and hopefully we won't have the same problems when the 500 starts. We know what we have to do and will do it."

Bill Elliott won Benson's race while Ricky Rudd won the second race. Both races were caution free. The following is the starting lineup for Sunday's race.

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

      1 
     88 
     Dale Jarrett 
     
      2 
     28 
     Ricky Rudd 
     
      3 
     94 
     Bill Elliott 
     
      4 
     31 
     Mike Skinner 
     
      5 
     2 
     Rusty Wallace 
     
      6 
     22 
     Ward Burton 
     
      7 
     20 
     Tony Stewart 
     
      8 
     8 
     Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
     
      9 
     6 
     Mark Martin 
     
      10 
     7 
     Michael Waltrip 
     
      11 
     24 
     Jeff Gordon 
     
      12 
     15 
     Derrike Cope 
     
      13 
     18 
     Bobby Labonte 
     
      14 
     99 
     Jeff Burton 
     
      15 
     32 
     Scott Pruett 
     
      16 
     33 
     Joe Nemechek 
     
      17 
     13 
     Robby Gordon 
     
      18 
     42 
     Kenny Irwin 
     
      19 
     12 
     Jeremy Mayfield 
     
      20 
     25 
     Jerry Nadeau 
     
      21 
     3 
     Dale Earnhardt 
     
      22 
     26 
     Jimmy Spencer 
     
      23 
     36 
     Ken Schrader 
     
      24 
     17 
     Matt Kenseth 
     
      25 
     5 
     Terry Labonte 
     
      26 
     90 
     Ed Berrier 
     
      27 
     10 
     Johnny Benson 
     
      28 
     41 
     Rick Mast 
     
      29 
     97 
     Chad Little 
     
      30 
     43 
     John Andretti 
     
      31 
     93 
     Dave Blaney 
     
      32 
     77 
     Robert Pressley 
     
      33 
     9 
     Stacy Compton 
     
      34 
     75 
     Wally Dallenbach 
     
      35 
     14 
     Mike Bliss 
     
      36 
     1 
     Steve Park 
     
      37 
     4 
     Bobby Hamilton 
     
      38 
     40 
     Sterling Marlin 
     
      39 
     55 
     Kenny Wallace 
     
      40 
     21 
     Elliott Sadler 
     
      41 
     16 
     Kevin Lepage 
     
      42 
     44 
     Kyle Petty 
     
      43 
     66 
     Darrell Waltrip 

The following drivers missed the Daytona 500

60 Geoffrey Bodine
11 Brett Bodine
27 Jeff Fuller
71 Dave Marcis
91 Andy Hillenburg
50 Ricky Craven
96 Greg Sacks
85 Carl Long
89 Bobby Gerhart
48 Stanton Barrett
65 Dan Pardus
72 Jim Sauter
84 Norm Benning
34 David Green - withdrew before the Twin 125's