Johnny Benson, Jr. to Drive ISMA Supermodified in CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday
Stafford Springs, CT — Stafford Motor Speedway has announced that NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader Johnny Benson, Jr. will be part of the ISMA Supermodified field for the Tuesday, July 8th CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday program. Benson is the most recent winner on the Craftsman Truck Series, winning at the Milwaukee Mile, and he currently leads Todd Bodine by 50 points in the Craftsman Truck Series points standings. Benson’s visit to Stafford will be his first visit behind the wheel at the Connecticut half-mile.
“I’ve heard lots of good things about Stafford, but I’ve never seen it before,” said Benson. “That definitely should make it more exciting!”
Benson is currently working on putting together his own ISMA Supermodified car, but for the CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday show, Benson will be piloting a car out of the Mike Lichty stable as a team car to Mike Lichty and Dave McKnight.
“I’m working on putting my own car together, but it’s not quite finished yet,” said Benson. “I’ve driven Brad [Lichty’s] car about five times before, and it’s a really nice thing to be able to travel to different parts of the country and see some tracks that I’ve never seen before.”
Benson’s career accomplishments include winning the 1993 American Speed Association championship, the 1995 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, and the 1996 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year title. Benson has one career Nextel Cup Series victory, coming in the 2002 fall race at Rockingham. Benson nearly won the 2000 Daytona 500, losing the lead to eventual winner Dale Jarrett on lap-196 of 200. Benson is one of 17 different drivers to have won a race in the Nextel Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series. Benson currently drives the #23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota for Bill Davis Motorsports and he leads the Craftsman Truck Series points standings with 1 win, 6 top-5, and 8 top-10 finishes in 11 starts this season.
Benson’s father is a former Supermodified champion and was the winner of the 1966 Classic at Oswego Speedway. Prior to his handful of runs in the Lichty car, Benson had no prior open wheel experience, but he says that he loves racing in the ISMA Supermodifed division.
“It’s a lot of fun racing with the ISMA guys,” says Benson. “There’s no mirrors and no spotters, and its good, clean racing. Each car is unique and there aren’t a lot of rules for the cars compared to what I’m running in weekly now, so it’s a lot of fun. I’ve never driven an open wheel car before this and now I’ve spent enough time in one of these cars to say I had to put my own car together.”
Tickets for the 5th Annual CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday are available and on sale now at the Stafford Motor Speedway box office. Tickets are priced at $30.00 for adult general admission, and children ages 6-14 are only $5.00. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is $32.00. Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.
For more information about the 5th annual CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday event, or to order tickets, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources:Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR