#30 Pennzoil Pontiac Grand Prix
As Johnny Benson makes his first appearance in a Winston Cup car at
tracks across America, listen to the reaction of some fans who meet the
32-year-old Michigander for the first time.
"He doesn't look like a race car driver," observed a fan expressing the sentiment of many. "He looks like an accountant or a stockbroker, and he's so down to earth," said another after talking with the 1995 Busch Grand National Champion who is now driving the #30 Pennzoil Pontiac on the Winston Cup Circuit in 1996.
Johnny Benson might not look like a rough-hewn, burly, NASCAR driver from the 1950s or 1960s. He speaks with a soft Michigan accent rarely heard in the garage area and his glasses, boyish smile, and pleasant disposition make people wonder if this is really the same guy who pilots the Pennzoil Pontiac at nearly 200 mph on the high banks of Daytona and Talladega.
He's different from most drivers. When he's not working on the race car, Benson is usually laughing with team members or talking to fans and media. He prefers Hootie and the Blowfish over country music, likes Mel Gibson and Bridget Fonda, and drives a Pontiac Bonneville instead of a truck.
Fans are not alone in noticing Benson doesn't conform to any stereotype image. Instead, Benson is the new face and look of Winston Cup racing in the 1 990s - a driver who combines looks, personality and driving skill that some predict will broaden the sport's appeal in the coming decade.
Even before he raced his first Winston Cup event, the inevitable comparisons were numerous. Benson plays down the attention, but many feel the Winston Cup rookie is a rising star. Winston Cup Scene said "quick success in the Winston Cup Series, which combined with his GQ looks and articulate manner would elevate Benson to (Jeff) Gordon's level in the coming years."
Like Gordon, Benson comes from the Midwest. He started on dirt tracks near his Grand Rapids home at places like Thunderbird Speedway and, after moving to asphalt, visited victory lane at Kalamazoo and Berlin raceways in Michigan. He earned the late model championship at Berlin where he won 10 of 15 events in 1989.
In the 1950s and 1960s most Midwesteners in Benson's position probably would have gravitated to Indianapolis to race the open-wheeled cars. In most respects, NASCAR was a regional sport then, and fame and fortune awaited at the Brickyard. But, in the 1 980s the popularity of the full-bodied cars began to skyrocket and Midwest drivers turned their attention to the American Speed Association (ASA) circuit.
The ASA circuit visits tracks in 10 states and features drivers who work on their own cars and sometimes act as their own crew chiefs. It didn't take Benson long to make an impact in the 18-race series. In 1990, he earned Rookie of the Year honors finishing eighth in the points championship.
In 1991, Benson finished fourth. Paving the way for one of the most memorable years in ASA racing, Benson and Mike Eddy dueled down to the last race of the 1992 season in the closest points battle in the series' history. Benson lost to Eddy by two points.
Obviously, I was disappointed, because we were close all year, but I wasn't going to get down about it. We knew we had a good team and we were determined to win the championship in 1993. Vve didn't care about poles or records. It was wins and the championship that mattered," Benson explained.
And a championship is what he earned. He recorded five victories and 10 poles while earning a record $190,735 in the short track series. As Benson's success grew, so did his dreams. Former series regulars like Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Marlin, and Ted Musgrave migrated south and climbed to the top of Winston Cup racing. After winning a championship, Benson felt he was ready to walk in their footsteps.
Weeks before his Rockingham victory celebration, Benson signed a three-year contract with Bahari' Racing owner Chuck Rider to pilot the #30 Pennzoil Pontiac in 1996.
"I wish I could defend my Busch championship, but by the same token it's going to be great to compete in Winston Cup in the Pennzoil Pontiac in 1996," said Benson who still hopes to compete in one or two Busch races in 1996.
But the Busch series is in the rearview mirror now. All attenion has turned to Winston Cup where the competition is stronger and the rewards much higher.
"I think we have an excellent chance to win Rookie of the Year and hopefully post some really good finishes, but the main thing early in the year is that we learn and improve every week," Benson said.
Benson may be a new personality, but he shares many old attributes that make NASCAR regulars like the Petty, Waltrip, and Allison families, the Benson family brings a strong tradition of motorsports excellence as well as a togetherness exhibited by the more familiar clans in Winston Cup racing.
Benson's driving skills may be in the genes. His father, John Benson, was one of the winningest super modified drivers in Michigan during his 26-year career. He raced against many of the region's best including Gordon Johncock, Joe Ruttman, Dick Trickle, Ed Howe and Bob Senneker. Benson Sr. won more than 375 feature races and hundreds of heat races while on his way to becoming the Berlin Raceway track champion seven times.
For five years the elder Benson, the winner of the 1965 Oswego (N.Y.) Classic, held the world record for the fastest time turned in a super modified car at the Winchester (Ind.) Speedway. Several open wheeled and NASCAR teams tempted him with offers to drive for them, but he chose to remain with the family. He developed a racing shop specializing in building everything from chassis and rear end assemblies to small custom made parts.
He hung up the driver's suit in 1982, in time to watch his son begin his career a few years later. While racing to important to John Benson, it's not something he ever pushed on his son.
"'It was never do or die with him that I get into racing," Johnny said. "If he sees a problem he comes over and confronts me about it. It's great to have somebody who watches you so closely."
Benson's family support is more than just his father's influence. Mother Judy attends many races and roots for her son like most mothers. So does wife Debbie, who usually stands on top of the team truck tracking her husband's progress during each race. Debbie also travels with Johnny to all the races and back to their Harrisburg, N.C. home. His sister, Barb Benson lives in Michigan and manages the 1,000 member fan club whose ranks will grow in the coming years.
"It's getting to be real exciting to race with drivers I have watched for so many years. But I'm not going to approach this any different from the way I have approached racing in the last several years," Benson said. 'My job is to go in there and learn as much about the Pennzoil Pontiac as fast as I can. It's going to take time, but the guys at Bahari' Racing are making that easier for me."
If all that happens, then the man some fans claim looks like "an accountant or a stockbroker" might end up as one of the most famous drivers in the sport.
