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Pennzoil Pontiac Preview: Johnny Benson's Watkins Glen Goals

5 August 1997

Johnny Benson's Watkins Glen Goals



   Pennzoil Pontiac driver Johnny Benson has two goals in mind this 
weekend at the Bud at the Glen in Watkins Glen, N.Y. 
   
   First, he hopes to show New York race fans that he possesses the 
same abilities that enabled his father John Benson to win the 1966 
Oswego Classic -- the premier supermodified race held in nearby 
Oswego, N.Y.

 Secondly, he hopes a high finish will allow him to climb into the 
top-10 in the 1997 Winston Cup point standings. Benson is 12th, but 
trails 10th-place Bill Elliott by 50 points and 11th-place Ted 
Musgrave by 30 points.

Benson on:

...Dad's Oswego victory:

   "Everytime I go to the New York area somebody always comes up and 
asks about my Dad winning the Oswego Classic in 1966. That's pretty 
cool. They ask if he is here. It's neat that they can remember 
something like that from so long ago. Especially since being from 
Michigan he was kind of an outsider. I think to this day he is the 
only outsider that has ever won that.

   "He was one of my spotters last weekend at Indianapolis. But, he 
won't be here this weekend. He has a big screen television and a 
satellite at home to watch the races back in Grand Rapids. "

...finishing in the top-10 in the points race:

   "It's our goal to finish the season in the top ten. We have been 
awfully consistent this year, but we have to start running better. We 
finished 7th at Indianapolis and I hope, like last year, we can start 
running up front more in the second half of the season."

...Pennzoil Pontiac:

   "This Pennzoil Pontiac we will race on Sunday was a brand new road 
racing car when we took it to Watkins Glen last year. Unfortunately, 
we wrecked within the first hour of practice and had to use a backup 
car. We fixed it, so in a way it's still a new car. We took it up 
there a few weeks ago to test it and it ran pretty well.

   "This car is strictly for road racing. I doubt it will be used 
again until Sears Point next year and that's only if it runs pretty 
good this weekend."

Johnny Benson's Winston Cup Career At Watkins Glen
1996
Race/Track                         S   F  LC  TL  Status   Winnings 
Bud at the Glen (Watkins Glen)    36  15  90  90  Running  $23,015  



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Contact: Drew Brown
Cohn & Wolfe
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