NASCAR WCUP: Talladega Caution Couldn't Be Worse For Benson
16 October 2000
Before Sunday's race at Talladega, the joke going around the NASCAR Winston Cup garage was the following: "The only people who don't enjoy Talladega are the drivers and the car owners."With the type of race NASCAR's new aerodynamic rules and restrictor plates were expected to bring, experts figured the drivers and the car owners were in for a rough day of scary wrecks and torn-up race cars.
An ARCA race on Saturday sent two drivers to the hospital. Sunday was also going to be survival of the fittest. But, the experts were wrong. Sunday's show was a command performance by highly talented professionals.
The Winston Cup drivers drafted three and sometimes four abreast on the 2.66-mile highbanks of the Alabama Superspeedway. The harrowing driving had the fans on their feet most of the race, but the performance proceeded caution-free except for a brief skirmish getting on pit road between Mark Martin and Bobby Hamilton at lap 168.
But, that lone accident couldn't come at a worse time for Johnny Benson and his #10 Aaron's Pontiac teammates.
Benson had pitted for four tires and fuel at lap 156 while running seventh after reporting a tire vibration. He returned to the track in about 35th place, but he was in the lead draft and the leaders were on their way into the pits. Once the leaders made their scheduled stops Benson knew he would vault back on to the leader board.
Then the caution fell.
"That's so disappointing," Benson said after the race. "We had a great car and were just kind of bidding our time all day then that vibration made us pit a bit early. We didn't have to pit but we were being safe and everyone else was going to come in just a few laps after we did so coming in was the right thing to do."
But nobody counted on the caution coming out in what had been a caution-free race.
The yellow flag falling when it did kept the MB2 Motorsports team a lap down. With less than 20 laps to go there was little chance of Benson making up his lap. As he drove amid the 30-car pack after the restart, Crew Chief James Ince warned him to be smart and remember the big picture.
"You know we haven't had the big wreck today and it might be coming so drive smart and make sure we leave here with a good race car," Ince said over the team radio.
Benson did just that as he tried to get to the front to regain his lap in case a caution flag fell, but a late race pitstop to fix a fender rubbing against a tire eliminated any chances of finishing on the lead lap.
Benson safely made it to the checkered flag in 33rd position.
"Like I said it is disappointing because we had a good car today," Benson said. "We hung out at the back there a while to cool the engine and things were getting kind of wild up there. There at the end we were up to second and just kind of hanging out again and waiting for the end. I wish we could have been in that it looked awfully fun."
It was fun. At least to the Talladega fans whose cheers as Dale Earnhardt came from mid-pack in the closing laps to win the race drowned out the sounds for 40 plus stock cars. Despite the poor finish, it was an impressive performance for Benson and crew.
"Like I said at the beginning of the year, our superspeedway program was our weakest link going into the season," Ince said. "But if you look back on the year we have run in the top three at some point in just about every superspeedway race. We were second at one point today and I felt Johnny could have easily finished in the top five or possibly won the race. I can't wait for Daytona in February."
Benson remains 14th in the driver point standings. The Winston Cup Series returns to action Sunday at Rockingham, N.C.