Pennzoil Pontiac Race Preview: Benson Heads for Bristol
19 August 1997
Johnny Benson's Improvement
Comparison of Pennzoil Pontiac driver Johnny Benson's first 21 races
in 1996 & 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup seasons
Avg Avg % of laps
Start Finish finished DNF Top-10s Poles Points
1996* 20.2 20.1 89% 3 5 1 2,028/23rd
1997 23.8 17.4 97% 2 5 1 2,360/12th
* Does not include missed race at Bristol
Benson on:
...qualifying vs. race setups:
"Last year we qualified better than we raced. This year has been
the opposite. I hope last week's pole is the start of something new
although we certainly have run better at Michigan than we did Sunday.
We are trying to find the best of both worlds regarding qualifying and
the race set-up. If I had to pick which one I prefer to do better in,
it would be the race since it pays more than qualifying."
...sophomore jinx:
"I have never believed in any sophomore jinxes. It seems wherever I
have raced my second year has been pretty good be it late model, ASA
or the Busch series."
...experience:
"Experience is everything is this sport. There are many tracks that
require a lot of experience to do well. Last year we might have had a
good car going into the race but I was unprepared to know how the
weather changes or the rubber build-up changes the handling
characteristics of the track. This year, I know what to expect and can
anticipate better than I could last year. You learn each time out.
Next year it should be even better and the following year will be even
better than that."
Benson's Winston Cup Record at Bristol
1996
1996 Races S F LC TL Status Money
Food City 500 DNQ
Goodys 500 29 28 465 500 Running $24,635
1997 Races S F LC TL Status Money
Food City 500 33 31 455 500 Running $21,815
For More Information
Contact: Drew Brown
Cohn & Wolfe
(404) 880-5269
drew_brown@cohnwolfe.com