Pennzoil Pontiac Race Report: Watkins Glen
11 August 1997
Bud at the Glen August 10, 1997 Watkins Glen, NY Benson and Hewitt Duel Fuel Mileage Gods !! Pennzoil Pontiac Crew Chief Doug Hewitt celebrated his 48th birthday on the Bahari' Racing team hauler Sunday just minutes before The Bud at the Glen. The impromptu party included the team presenting its fifth-year crew chief with an oversized cake with about half the required candles. "And wait `til you see the present this team and Johnny (Benson) will give you this afternoon," said car owner Chuck Rider. The race proved Rider correct as Hewitt, a native New Yorker, watched the team, Benson and the fuel mileage gods reward him with an 11-th place finish -- one of the team's better finishes on a road course. It was the third consecutive race Hewitt and Benson parlayed hard driving and savvy fuel strategy into a top finish. Last week at Indianapolis fuel strategy and last lap driving heroics enabled Benson to finish 7th and at Pocono the previous week, they timed caution lights and pit stops correctly to finish 13th. Sunday's 11th-place finish enabled the team to continue its quest to climb into the top-10 in the 1997 Winston Cup point standings. Benson remains 12th in points, but less than 70 points behind 10th place Bill Elliott and 109 points behind eighth place Jeremy Mayfield. The 1997 Bud at the Glen boiled down to fuel mileage. Everyone knew it would be a gamble to try and make the 90-lap race on two stops, but Hewitt and the team rolled the dice. Just how close did Hewitt and the Bahari team cut the fuel mileage on Sunday in order to ensure making the race with just two pitstops? As close as it gets. After stopping on lap 17 while running about 20th, Hewitt wanted Benson to stay on the track until lap 54. If the Pennzoil Pontiac could stay out 37 laps and take advantage of track position then come in at lap 54, it would have a chance to race the final segment without another stop. "We are going to stick to our plan and see what happens," Hewitt told Benson on the radio as the crew debated fuel strategy. Benson stayed out when others came in to pit. He led several laps and remained among the leaders despite racing with older tires. Benson and the crew knew as lap 54 drew near that they were tempting fate, but as soon as the 1996 Rookie of the Year crossed the start/finish line on lap 53 Hewitt ordered him to the pits. Then disaster appeared to strike. Benson radioed he was out of gas. As crew members looked for ether to restart a dead engine, everyone's hopes deflated. Then Benson radioed in another message. "Wait, I think its running again," he said to the delight of the team. Benson managed to restart the Pennzoil Pontiac on the course and make it into the pits losing relatively no time. "That was close," Hewitt told the team. But that drama was just unfolding. Engineer John Plyler, engine builder Ron Puryear, gas man Bill Tucker and Hewitt began figuring the gallons of gas used on the last run, the number of laps, expected cautions, and several other factors. When the calculating was over they concluded Benson could go the rest of the race without pitting only if a few caution flags flew in the race's final segment. "We need three laps under caution to have a chance," said one crew member. Hewitt's strategy appeared to have worked to perfection as caution flags flew for a handful of laps at the end. Benson circled the track slowly saving gas. When the green flag fell, Benson retained 11th place and on the final lap when it appeared a long day was going to end happily. Then the nightmare repeated itself. "I'm out of gas," Benson said. And then after a pause. A very long pause. He said, "Wait, I think I can make it across the finish line." He did and took the checkered flag without losing a position. He needed a quick splash of fuel to get back to the garage where he congratulated a relieved Hewitt and his teammates. "Man, I'm worn out today," Benson said. "The fuel mileage thing was certainly a good call again today. We are pleased. We came up here for a few days to test last month and that helped a lot, but I'm ready to return to the ovals." Benson will return to the ovals, in fact, he will return to his favorite oval -- the Michigan Speedway -- where several thousand homestate fans will cheer him on Sunday in his bid to improve upon his 13th-place finish in June and move into the top ten in the point standings. As for Hewitt, this birthday won't be soon forgotten. . "That was interesting day," he said smiling. For More Information Contact: Drew Brown Cohn & Wolfe (404) 880-5269 drew_brown@cohnwolfe.com