BENSON CAPTURES CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY WIN IN NASCAR WINSTON WEST SERIES

Source: NASCAR Public Relations
Date: 05/02/2000

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (May 2, 2000) - Johnny Benson added his name to the NASCAR Winston West Series record books with a victory in the Pontiac WideTrack Grand Prix 200 at California Speedway on April 29.

Benson joins other NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers who have won a race in the West's oldest stock car racing circuit. The list includes Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Ken Schrader, Geoff Bodine, Neil Bpnnett, Cale Yarborough, Michael Waltrip, Derrike Cope and Chad Little.

Benson, who started the race alongside Schrader on the outside of the front row, was one of four drivers who shuffled the lead at a near record pace. The Grand Rapids, Mich., competitor took the lead for good on lap 92. He held on to win by a margin of 1.029 seconds at an average speed of 120.351 mph.

Finishing second was Schrader, who had collected his sixth Bud Pole Award in the series during time trials. The Fenton, Mo., driver lapped the 2-mile superspeedway in his Federated Auto Parts Pontiac at a speed of 180.424 mph. He was followed closely to the finish by Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas, Nev., in the NAPA/Martin Senour Chevrolet and Eric Norris of Dallas, Texas, in the JaniNnglUltra Wheel Ford. Fifth place went to Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash., in the Monaco Enterprises Chevrolet. Rounding out the top 10 were Jerry Glanville, David Starr, Mike Duncan, Jeff Jefferson and John Borneman Ill.

The race featured 24 lead changes among.four drivers - Benson, Schrader, Gaughan and Jason Small. The pace of the event was slowed by five cautions for 25 laps.

With his third-place finish, Gaughan retained his lead in the NASCAR Winston West Series championship standings in the series. He has 680 points, followed by Richards with 571, John Metcalf with 568, Steve Portenga with 555 and Norris with 530. Completing the top 10 are Duncan with 517, Scott Gaylord with 516, Sammy Potashnick with 507, Joe Bean with 503 and Bobby Dotter with 501.

Duncan, meanwhile, has taken over the top spot in the chase for the Rookie-afthe-Year Award in the series. The Lamont, Calif., competitor leads with 33 points, followed by Mike Grady of Farmington, N.M., with 28. They are followed by Rick Bogart of El Cajon, Calif_ and John BQrneman III of Ramona, Calif., each with 27. Don Holcomb of Mesa, Ariz., trails with 21 - followed by Gene Christensen of Garland, Texas, with 20; Travis Powell of Snohomish, Wash., with 16; Jeff Jefferson of Naches, Wash., with 16 and Troy Cline of Hawthorne, Calif., with 15.

The next event on the NASCAR Winston West Series schedule is the Salinas 250 at Laguna Seca Raceway on May 21.

News Index | E-mail to a Friend