Benson to Drive #18 Dana Dodge in Martinsville Craftsman Truck Race
16 September 1997
Johnny Benson, Jr. to Drive #18 Dana Dodge in Martinsville FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Cornelius, NC (September 15, 1997) -- NASCAR Winston Cup veteran Johnny Benson, Jr. will drive the #18 Dana Dodge, fielded by Roehrig Motorsports, in the Hanes 250 in Martinsville, Virginia. This is Benson's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearance since October of 1996 in Phoenix, Arizona when he drove the Roehrig Motorsports #18 Chevrolet. Benson both qualified and finished in the runner-up position, scoring his sole top-5 finish out of four starts in 1996- all in Roehrig-owned trucks. "We're excited having Johnny in the truck next week," said Scott Treichler, general manager of Roehrig Motorsports. "It's kind of like a family reunion. Johnny was real instrumental in getting our racing program up and running- it was a big turning point for Roehrig Motorsports, so it will be great working with Johnny again, even if only for one race." "Scheduling conflicts made it impossible for any of the drivers we are testing for 1998 to fill the seat in Martinsville, so we are making the most of the Hanes 250 weekend by having someone of Johnny's experience in the Dana Dodge to give us feedback on the program. Johnny drove our Chevrolets in 1995 and 1996, so we know each other, have worked with each other, and can respond to each other's comments and suggestions." "We're very excited about having Johnny Benson in the Dana Dodge next weekend," said team owner Kurt Roehrig. "We've got a lot of experience working with each other in 1995 and 1996, and have had some great successes. With the experience of Johnny Benson behind the wheel, this upcoming race in Martinsville will help us reestablish our engineering baseline." Johnny Benson, Jr. competed on a limited schedule in the #18 Roehrig Motorsports Chevrolet in 1995 and 1996. His best finish was second- twice. Benson's racing resume includes the 1990 ASA Rookie-of-the-Year honors, the 1993 ASA points championship, 1994 NASCAR Busch Grand National Rookie-of-the-Year, 1995 BGN points championship, and 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie-of-The-Year honors. "Dana Corporation is very excited to have one of the hottest drivers on the Winston Cup circuit driving the #18 Dana Dodge," said Armedee Nadeau, Dana motorsports manager. "It gives the Dana people and the race fans an upper level NASCAR champion to root for." JOHNNY BENSON, JR. NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES CAREER TO DATE: Outside Starts Wins Poles Poles Top 5Top 10 Winnings 1995 8 0 0 1 3 5 $45,575 1996 4 0 1 1 1 3 $34,525 TOTALS 12 0 1 2 4 8 $80,100 ROEHRIG MOTORSPORTS MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY STATISTICS: Year Race Driver Start Finish Laps/Laps Winnings Status 1995 Hanes 250 Johnny Benson 22 3 150/150 $9,250 Running 1996 Hanes250 MichaelDokken 11 15 255/255 $4,300 Running
