Benson reaction to single round qualifying

NASCAR announced in New York City Thursday the cancellation of second round qualifying at its Winston Cup races in 2001. Only a single session of qualifying will be held. Further details are expected in the coming weeks according to NASCAR.

#10 Valvoline Pontiac Driver Johnny Benson's Reaction to NASCAR's Announcement:

"Wow, I guess this means you only have one lap to get it right now in qualifying. That's going to be kind of exciting. But, I think NASCAR made a great decision. I think everyone noticed there weren't that many cars who made it into the field during second round qualifying last year. Sometimes second round might have helped especially when you get a break on the weather. If it were cooler the next day and the track was faster then those second round guys got a break. Also, if someone blew an engine in front of you on the first day and greased up the track then it might help having another chance on the second day. But those instances are pretty rare. This makes it fair for everyone now. I don't think it will change any strategy next year. Whenever you qualify you qualify as fast as you can. It might give some guys more time to work on race setups which is good for them and makes for a better race."