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Pennzoil Pontiac Racing Report: Benson Drops to 14th in Points

28 October 1997

Oct 26 1997
Rockingham N.C. .   

Benson's Falls to 14th in Points Race

   Pennzoil Pontiac driver Johnny Benson's chances of finishing in the 
top 10 in the 1997 Winston Cup points race fell dramatically Monday 
after a 36th-place finish in the AC Delco 400 in Rockingham N.C. 

   A still undetected handling problem plagued Benson from the start 
of the race and never allowed the Bahari' team to contend with the 
leaders. Rain canceled all activities on Sunday so teams returned to 
Rockingham and raced Monday. 

   "For the life of me I don't know what's was wrong with the car," 
Benson said. "It just wouldn't handle. We never had this problem in 
testing or during Friday's qualifying, but it started on Saturday 
afternoon and the problem  didn't go away during the race."

   Benson pitted frequently to make handling adjustments that enabled 
him to drive the car without crashing. He finished 36th -- nine laps 
behind race winner Bobby Hamilton.

   Despite Monday's disappointment, Benson and the Bahari' team still 
think they can reach their pre-season goal and make the top 10.

   "We have to finish in the top 10 in the final two races just to 
have a shot now," Benson said immediately after the race. "But, those 
other guys could just as easily have problems like we have and we 
can't give up."

   Benson and the Pennzoil Pontiac return to the track on Sunday in 
Phoenix and finish the season two weeks later in Atlanta.


For More Information
Contact: Drew Brown
Cohn & Wolfe
(404) 880-5269
drew_brown@cohnwolfe.com