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Pennzoil Pontiac Race Preview -- Benson Heads for New Hampshire

7 July 1997

Benson Says NHIS "Special For The Fans And For Us"


   Pennzoil Pontiac driver Johnny Benson is 14th in the 1997 Winston 
Cup point standings trailing ninth place by only 110 points. A 
dramatic improvement over his rookie season when he entered the Jiffy 
Lube 300 in 32nd-place in the points race.

    His ninth-place finish at New Hampshire International Speedway 
last year began a string of four top-10 finishes in the next six races 
that eventually propelled him to 21st in the points standings and earned 
him the rookie of the year award. Benson hopes the upcoming flat tracks 
like New Hampshire International Speedway, Pocono and Indianapolis will 
prove as fruitful in 1997 as they did last year. 

Benson on:

...New Hampshire International Speedway:

   "I like New Hampshire because it's a flat, mile track like the one 
in Milwaukee where I raced a lot in the Busch Grand National car. I 
think it fits more of my style. It's fast and takes a lot of finesse. 
It's all the things I like in a track."

...racing in New England:

   "New Hampshire is a neat place to race the Pennzoil Pontiac. The 
New England area has a lot of racing going on and a lot of racing 
history.  Just look at the number of driver's in NASCAR from this 
area.

   "I think we are here twice because of the fans. They might be the 
best around. They are real knowledgeable about racing. It's a 
different crowd. Most of these people don't get to visit all of the 
tracks in the South. Being here is special for the fans and for us."

...two races at New Hampshire International Speedway:

   "I think this weekend's race will be good, but the second race will 
be better than the first. We will learn from the first race and apply 
that to the Pennzoil Pontiac for the second race in September. 
Everyone will do that and the competition will be ever stronger. The 
guy who learns the most from this race will do well in September."



Benson's Winston Cup Record at New Hampshire

1996                             S   F  LC   TL   Status     Money 
Jiffy Lube 300 (New Hampshire)  38   9  300  300  Running   $27,825 




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Contact: Drew Brown
Cohn & Wolfe
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