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Tag: Johnny Benson

  • Hot 20 – Dover is not Talladega, but it simply oozes the very best of tradition

    Hot 20 – Dover is not Talladega, but it simply oozes the very best of tradition

    Sometimes the news is good like it was at Talladega last week. Entertaining races and I loved the Cup guys manning the microphones for the Xfinity race. They were laid back, funny, and in the case of Darrell Wallace, Jr., pretty darn articulate. Michael Waltrip was a pizza delivery boy, and it brought me back to the best NASCAR show ever. I miss Inside Winston Cup, where Waltrip was held in line by Ken Schrader. Allen Bestwick and Johnny Benson tried to keep things moving forward in a loosely sane manner, even as a garbage truck rolled noisily down the alley behind their studio.

    Last Saturday, Spencer Gallagher made that announce crew quite giddy as he claimed his first career junior circuit triumph. The 28-year old won it for his team owner, his dad Maury, as the family operation climbed to the top of the mountain. What a wonderful story. So heartwarming. So family orientated. So traditional.

    Well, that went for crap in a hurry. Today, young Gallagher is suspended for violating NASCAR’s drug policy. He is now on their quaintly named Road to Recovery Program. Gone is his team’s shot at the Dash 4 Cash money. Gone is his playoff eligibility for this season. It is a good thing dad has rather deep pockets.

    On the positive side of things, Amy and Dale Jr. welcomed Isla Rose Earnhardt into the family on Monday. It is way too early to play matchmaker, but His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge is a fine looking young man. Then again, she is already royalty in our books.

    Let us hope Dover brings us another feel-good story, one that might last the week. Dover is no Talladega, but they do have Miles the Monster, in sculpture and trophy form. This is the 50th year the track has hosted a Cup event, starting with Richard Petty’s 1969 win in the inaugural Mason-Dixon 300. The venue marked NASCAR’s return to action after 9-11, a race won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Track records for practice and race times over all three national series are held by the likes of Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Erik Jones, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Jimmie Johnson has won 11 times on that surface.

    You might not remember Jody Ridley, who won there in 1981. He might be the only former winner you might not know. Thirty-five drivers have claimed at least one of the 96 contests at Dover. A pair of Allisons won there. Each Busch brother. A couple of Earnhardts. Two guys named Petty. Forty were won by Hall of Famers, 68 by drivers who have laid claim to the Cup championship.

    Dover brings us both Miles the Monster and tradition. You can never have enough of either.

    Among our Hot 20 we have…

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS – 447 Pts
    When he’s not happy, he’s not smiling.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 3 WINS – 366 Pts
    Smiles when he is happy, smiles when he is not. Beware of the unhappy smile. It is evil.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 417 Pts
    Spotter T.J. Majors helped Junior to victory at Talladega in 2015, and now Logano in 2018.

    4. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 335 Pts
    The Fords are flying, the Mustang is on its way, but the rest of the sedan fleet is DOA?

    5. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN – 303 Pts
    Was winless at Dover last year, but claimed the most points (3rd and 4th).

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 210 Pts
    Did he pee himself last week? You would have to ask team interior mechanic Adam Brown.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 320 POINTS
    Runner-up at Talladega. “I feel like I left that one out on the table.”

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 317 POINTS
    He really could have used an ice-cream after Sunday’s wreck.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 314 POINTS
    He meant to get back-to-back speeding penalties. He needed the challenge.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 313 POINTS
    Last Saturday he was very good for television but absolutely perfect for radio.

    11. KYLE LARSON – 280 POINTS
    With NASCAR buying ARCA this week, he can now add to his Cup, Xfinity, and Truck tallies.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 278 POINTS
    Driving a SHR Ford has been sweet for the entire gang.

    13. ALEX BOWMAN – 238 POINTS
    When a cashier asked him what he thought about Junior retiring, he said his replacement is lame.

    14. ERIK JONES – 234 POINTS
    Has some points room, but not that much room to repeat what took place last time out.

    15. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 230 POINTS
    The kid did not take the air out of his sails, but it sure disappeared around that rear fender.

    16. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 217 POINTS
    Some think all one needs is more cowbell. Kurt Busch needed a bit more Stenhouse.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 214 POINTS
    Close to a playoff spot, a 594 race career, and Spencer Gallagher gets all the headlines?

    18. CHASE ELLIOTT – 209 POINTS
    Third place finish the best among three Chevrolets in the Top Ten last Sunday.

    19. PAUL MENARD – 206 POINTS
    Won the second stage last week, yet finished 30th with some fender bending assistance.

    20. WILLIAM BYRON – 202 POINTS
    Twenty percent fewer tuned in to watch Byron at Talladega than who watched Gordon and Junior last year. That is shocking, even in these times.

  • Johnny Benson Enjoys Coaching Danica But Still Yearns To Race

    Johnny Benson Enjoys Coaching Danica But Still Yearns To Race

    After the 2009 accident in a Super Modified that left him in serious condition, as well as bruised and battered, Johnny Benson has fully recuperated and simply cannot hide how much he is itching to get back behind the wheel of a race car or truck.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”290″][/media-credit]”Physically I’m feeling great,” Benson said. “We obviously had a little accident a little while awhile ago but I’m really good on that end and enjoying my time at the moment, working in my shop and building and selling race cars, the Outlaw Late Model stuff.”

    “I’m staying busy but not busy enough.”

    While he continues to pursue a ride, the former NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series champ is keeping busy coaching one of the sport’s most visible up and comers, Danica Patrick. Benson was tapped by Patrick’s crew chief Tony Eury Jr. to assist her in her development in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Nationwide ride for JR Motorsports.

    “I have been helping Danica a little bit,” Benson said. “Tony Eury Jr. called me and wondered if I’d come give a hand. He was trying to be both coach and crew chief and as we talked he really wanted to focus on the race car.”

    “I’ve always admired the work he’s done and because he called is why I did it,” Benson continued. “That’s why I’m there.”

    “They have a great race team and I’m impressed with how they work and their rapport,” Benson said. “It’s a good group of guys and that on my end is pretty cool to see.”

    “And to work with Danica is a pretty neat deal,” Benson continued. “Hopefully we are giving her the advice and help she needs.”

    “It’s been working out great,” Benson said. “Danica’s doing a great job and we’re just helping her out in the areas she needs for stock car racing.”

    Benson is no stranger to the coaching and mentoring role. Last year, he worked with Trevor Bayne, the 20 year old that this year won NASCAR’s most prestigious event, the Daytona 500.

    What is the secret to Benson’s mentoring success, with both Bayne and now Danica Patrick?

    “I can’t tell you everything I’m telling her,” Benson said playfully. “I think a whole lot of it is just trying to get her acclimated with the stock cars.”

    “They are very different than the Indy cars,” Benson continued. “Some of the things that I see from Indy car drivers coming to the stock cars is that they do not like loose race cars.  And unfortunately you have to be able to do some of that.”

    “Going fast for her is not a huge issue,” Benson said. “But getting the car to go faster in practice and faster yet in the race has been a bit more challenging for her.”

    Benson is working with Patrick to as to the feel of the race car, as well as not being such a perfectionist during practice. He also has been coaching her on different lines around the race track.

    “She’s got a good feel of the car,” Benson said. “I’ve been impressed with that. It’s just a matter of trying to narrow that down from practice to the race.”

    “She wants it perfect for practice and every driver does,” Benson continued. “But I’m trying to show her what’s going to be good for the race.”

    “Practice doesn’t do anything but give her track time,” Benson said. “But when we’re good in practice, we may not be good in the race and she’s understanding that now.”

    “I’m changing her line on the track and where she needs to run,” Benson said. “That’s something that every driver tries to accomplish from practice into the race. It’s just helping her close those gaps.”

    After mentoring Patrick to a fourth place finish at Las Vegas, the highest ever for a female in NASCAR history, Benson set his sights to guiding her around Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend.

    “She ran a great race,” Benson said, in spite of Patrick’s on-track incident with Ryan Truex leading to a 29th place finish and a totally wrecked race car. “We wanted to run as many laps as possible and stay out of trouble.”

    “She ran good, she was passing cars and she did well there,” Benson continued. “She had an unfortunate incident late in the race but it was just a racing deal.”

    “She was frustrated but it happens so fast there that it’s just one of those scenarios,” Benson said. “You chalk that up to experience and move forward. It’s too bad she’s not racing this weekend rather than waiting a month or two to get back in again.”

    Because of her IndyCar schedule, Benson will also now go on hiatus as far as coaching Ms. Patrick.

    “The three race deal was strictly because she’s going back to do the Indy stuff right now,” Benson said. “She needs to concentrate on it because that’s her main job.”

    “At this time I was just going to help her out until that time comes,” Benson continued. “Hopefully I can help her some more. There’s some areas that we can still work on.”

    “Hopefully, I will get that opportunity…if I’m not doing anything.”

    “I’m still looking for a ride,” Benson said. “I’d love to be able to go run for a championship in the Truck Series but obviously we can’t do that this year. But yeah, I’m still looking for a ride with someone that can run a bunch of races.”

    “It’s obviously going pretty slow, but I’m still hopeful.”

    What Benson misses most is simple. He desperately wants to compete again.

    “I miss the competition,” Benson said. “I’ve always built race cars from the ground up and that’s what I like.”

    “I like building new cars and going out and proving them on the track,” Benson continued. “That’s what I enjoy the most. And of course racing at the NASCAR level, that’s the biggest part of what I enjoy.”

    “I really want to run the Truck Series,” Benson said. “That would be in my mind the best case scenario.”

    “I would run for a Nationwide championship,” Benson continued. “As far as the Cup stuff, I don’t really see many opportunities there and I don’t necessarily believe in the ‘start and park’ deal, so I don’t know that I’d venture down that road.”

    “But if it comes down where I can’t run for a championship in the Truck or Nationwide Series, my next one I’d like to run for a championship is in the Super Modifieds.”

    “I’ve got an Outlaw Late Model Championship, an ASA Championship, a Nationwide Championship and a Truck Series Championship,” Benson said. “So, I’d like to get one in another series. I think that’d be really cool.”

    “I don’t have that many years in the NASCAR side, but I’ve got a lot of racing left in me that’s for sure,” Benson said. “And I’ve got a couple of championships left in me. That’s also for sure.”