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Johnny Benson Atlanta Motor Speedway Post Race report
Monday October 27, 2008
Johnny Benson – Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra
Post Race Report
Race: E-Z-Go 200 (Race 22 of 25)
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Date: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008
Started: First
Finish: Seventh
Laps Completed: 130
Total Laps: 130
NCTS Points: First
Johnny Benson and the No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra team headed to Atlanta Motor Speedway to continue their quest for Bill Davis Racing’s first NASCAR Championship. The team knew it needed another strong showing in order to retain the Craftsman Truck Series points lead, and it was up to the challenge.
For the second consecutive week, all of Friday’s on-track activities were cancelled due to inclement weather. The first time the No. 23 TCUV Tundra hit the track was during Saturday morning’s one hour practice session. The team was not happy with the truck’s handling early in practice, so it made significant changes to the truck in preparation for that afternoon’s race. The team’s decision paid off, and by the end of practice, it was very optimistic about its chances for a second consecutive win.
Benson took the green flag from the pole position, but he immediately knew there was something wrong with his truck. On lap nine, he explained to Crew Chief Trip Bruce that the truck had no side bite and handled extremely loose through the corners. After the caution flag waved on lap 15, Benson rolled down the pit lane for major adjustments to his truck. The team changed everything but the driver during the four-tire stop and sent Benson back on the track in 20th position for the lap 19 restart.
Two laps after the restart, Benson said he might have a loose wheel, as the truck had a pretty significant vibration. Bruce advised him to just hang on until the mandatory caution on lap 25. By the time the yellow flag waved, Benson explained that the truck was still a bit loose, but the earlier adjustments had made a significant improvement. Additional adjustments were still needed, and Benson reported to his pit stall on lap 28 for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.
The race restarted on lap 29 with Benson in the 13th spot. The truck’s vibration problem soon subsided and the handling improved, enabling Benson to break into the top 10 by lap 50 of the 130-lap event. However, the truck would need a bit more work to get Benson up with the lead trucks. The team received its final opportunity to adjust on the TCUV Tundra during a yellow-flag pit stop on lap 91. Another four-tire stop yielded further chassis adjustments, and Benson restarted 15th.
With a long road in front of him, Benson set his sights on the front of the field. By lap 110, he was in the top 10 and running lap times as good as those of the leader. He told his team the truck was as good as it had been all day, and it was showing on the stopwatch.
Benson took the checkered flag in the seventh spot, his 16th top-10 finish of the season. Benson retains the Craftsman Truck Series points lead by 31 points over second-place Ron Hornaday.
Benson and the No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra team will head to the “Lone Star” state for the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday, Oct. 31 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. CST. Live television coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. CST on Speed Channel.
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Does your post spark passionate reactions from other readers? Are you commenting on meaningful NASCAR-related events? Do your posts have substance? In other words, “Dale Jr. is the best driver ever” or “Danica Patrick is hot” will not cut it.
So go to the Frontstretch Forums, post early, post often, and post well! We’ll announce the winner following the final race of the season at Homestead.
This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.
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