NASCAR Cup

Benson returns to Michigan for Berlin event

Benson Returns To Michigan To Run Late Model On Mother's Day Weekend His Mother Says Flowers Would Be Nice Sunday But Victory Would Be Even Nicer ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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Benson Returns To Michigan To Run Late Model On Mother's Day Weekend
His Mother Says Flowers Would Be Nice Sunday But Victory Would Be Even Nicer

#10 Valvoline Pontiac Driver Johnny Benson has known since Christmas the kind of gift he planned to give his mother Judy Benson for Mother's Day on Sunday. Benson, his wife Debbie, and two young daughters are returning to their hometown of Grand Rapids Mich. this week not just for a family reunion but for Benson's first appearance in a race car he has spent countless hours building by himself in a friend's garage over the last five months. Benson plans on racing Wednesday and Saturday night at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich. - a high-speed half-mile track where he and his father John Benson own track championships. Benson became part owner of the track last year.

Johnny Benson working on his Late Model racing car. Photo by Benson Family

It has taken a lot of effort for Benson's #10 late model car sponsored by Berger Chevrolet and Valvoline to make it to the track. He finished the car only hours before he left for Richmond International Raceway on Thursday then hurried back Saturday night after finishing sixth in the race so he and a friend could load the car into a truck and begin the 13-hour drive to Grand Rapids on Sunday morning. More than 10,000 fans are expected to attend each race. Benson plans to spend every off weekend this season racing his late model at Berlin.

Johnny Benson On His Berlin Weekend:

"Our family is pretty excited. It will be kind of a nice Mother's Day weekend. My wife Debbie is going up, we are bringing the kids, and my mother and grandmother are up there. So everybody is going to be in the same place. I guess your could say this is my Mother's Day present.

"I grew up in racing and grew up building race cars. Now that I'm in Winston Cup it's a little harder to work on cars because we have so many highly skilled guys working on these cars. They don't want you messing them up. They want us drivers to come by and do some things from time to time, but for the most part I never get to work on the car. That's their job.

"This deal here is all mine. I get to build the car from the ground up, work on the car and race the car. This is something I don't get to do too much of so I'm pretty excited. I started building this car around the Christmas holidays. I've been working as much as I can on it. I've been going from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. each night. It's finally done and I'm looking forward to racing it. I'm not sure I knew it would take this long but I think when they drop the green flag it will be worth it.

"This is a late model. I'm not sure it is the same type of late model that they have in the South but it's a pretty radical car. There aren't't as many rules with these cars. It's got totally different suspensions and a whole bunch of other things. They look pretty cool in my eyes. I don't know how fast it will go. At Berlin these cars will get over 100 mph so we are moving. It's a half-mile track and we get around there in less than 16 seconds. It will go faster than a Winston Cup car on that type of racetrack. We don't have as many rule restrictions as the Cup cars. It will be the first time I've run there as a part owner. It's just a small part I own. I guess it will be the same as it was back there when I raced all the time.

"I think this is my hobby. I enjoy a lot of other things. I like taking the boat out with the kids. I like riding my motorcycle. But I love building race cars. It's something that relaxes me. Once this is done, maybe I'll finally get a little bit of time to go out on the boat with the kids."

Judy Benson, Johnny's Mother, On Her Mother's Day Present:

"I'd like flowers but I'd rather have a win instead. This is the best weekend we could imagine, other than him winning at Charlotte the following weekend."

-Drew Brown-

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