NASCAR WCUP: Texas Just Like A Horror Film To Benson

3 April 2000

Another Strong Run, But This Time It Ends Against Wall

FORT WORTH, TX: You know those teenage horror films in which the victim narrowly avoids being killed, breathes a sigh of relief, but seconds later the monster jumps out and gobbles him up?

Texas Motor Speedway was just like the monster in one of those horror films for Johnny Benson and his #10 Lycos Pontiac on Sunday.

Just when he thought he had avoided being gobbled up by the high-speed racetrack and it appeared he was headed for another impressive run with his Tyler Jet Motorsports team, the 1.5-mile tri-oval reached out and gobbled him up forcing an end to a pretty good day.

"It's disappointing," said Benson after he returned to the pits to watch his crew load the wrecked race car. "I was going through the corner and all of a sudden it just headed for the wall."

The lap 143 accident came only minutes after Benson narrowly missed a spinning Jeff Gordon and Jerry Nadeau. The Lycos Pontiac had been running as high as fourth but fell back in the field in order to take on four new tires and get back in pit sequence with the rest of the leaders.

As Benson was coming up through the field the Gordon accident nearly ended his day damaging the bodywork on the right front of the Lycos Pontiac. After several pit stops for repairs, Benson resumed his march through the field and was well on his way to catching the leaders when the accident that ultimately ended his day occurred.

"This isn't going to kill our season or anything like that. We have bounced back from tougher stuff than this," said Benson. "I don't know if we killed that car or not. We are going to take it back to the shop where James (Ince) and the crew will see what they can do with it. I hope they fix it. We finished sixth at Las Vegas with it and it was great here in Texas today."

The accident relegated Benson to a 42nd place finish and dropped him to 21st in the driver points standings.

The Lycos Pontiac returns to action this weekend in Martinsville, Va.

Text provided by Drew Brown