Backstretch Motorsports

Johnny Benson celebrates winning the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 14, 2008) — Todd Bodine may have won Friday night’s Ford 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but a pair of calls in the pits earned Johnny Benson a seventh-place finish—exactly what he needed to secure the series championship.

After pitting for four tires under caution on Lap 126, Ron Hornaday Jr. chased Benson to the stripe during a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race three laps beyond its scheduled 134-lap distance. Hornaday came home eighth, one position behind Benson and one position short of his fourth series championship.

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AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 7, 2008) — Kevin Harvick held off hard-charging Kyle Busch to win Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, as title contenders Ron Hornaday and Johnny Benson struggled to wreck-plagued finishes that left them three points apart with one race left.

Benson takes a three-point lead to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the smallest margin with one race left in series history. The previous low margin was Hornaday’s 13-point advantage over Jack Sprague in 1998; when Hornaday went on to win the title.

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Ron Hornaday, Jr, No. 33 VFW Silverado at Phoenix International Raceway discussing battling for a championship, preparation for the final two races and strategy.

HAVING GONE THROUGH A TIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE LAST YEAR, DOES THAT HELP THIS YEAR? “Probably my worst championship year was l992. We came down here to Phoenix leading the points and exhaust pipe went through the windshield. We were down and out, came in and lost the clutch. In and out of the pits, our race was done, we had to pull the transmission out, we were umpteen laps, Doug George was leading it and he ended up blowing a tire and wrecking.

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By Reid Spencer

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 4, 2008) — With a brilliant last-lap move through the tri-oval at Talladega Superspeedway, Todd Bodine won Saturday’s Mountain Dew 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race with a much-needed assist from new points leader Ron Hornaday Jr.

Bodine was pushing Kyle Busch through the final corner, but contact from Bodine’s No. 30 Toyota loosened Busch’s No. 51 Tundra enough for Bodine to dodge to the outside and pick up a push from Hornaday, who crossed the finish line second, .075 seconds behind the race winner.

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By Tim Tuttle

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 20, 2008) — Mike Skinner outdueled Erik Darnell on a green-white-checkered finish to win Saturday night’s Qwik Liner Las Vegas 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Running second, Skinner’s Bill Davis Racing Toyota bumped Darnell’s Roush Fenway Racing Ford on the final restart and went to the outside in Turn 1. Skinner cleared Darnell entering Turn 3 and took the lead for the 147th lap, one over the scheduled distance on the 1.5-mile track.

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Race Fast Facts
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Camping World RV Rental 200

Race Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr.
Age: 50
Team : No. 33 - Camping World Chevrolet
Owner: Delana Harvick
Crew Chief: Rick Ren

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(cont) HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW RON AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THIS ALL UNDER CONTROL?
HORNADAY: “I when I came here with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in ’94 and ’95, I weighed 200-205 pounds and that is where I sit right now. My belly might show it. I feel fine. I felt fine before. I started losing weight and I got the shakes real bad. I felt fine then, other than just losing weight and getting the shakes. A little tiredness and stuff like that, but I mean, heck I am 50, I am going to be tired now, so it don’t matter.”

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RON HORNADAY, NO. 33 CAMPING WORLD SILVERADO; KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL IMPALA SS AND CO-OWNER OF KEVIN HARVICK, INC. (KHI), HORNADAY’S RACE TEAM AND JIM HUNTER, NASCAR VICE PRESIDENT CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS met with members of the media at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to discuss recent media story concerning possible substance abuse:

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By Tim Tuttle

MADISON, Ill. — Ron Hornaday Jr. was the class of the field Saturday in the Camping World 200 at Gateway International Raceway, winning his fourth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of the season and 37th of his career.

Hornaday led 113 of 160 laps on the 1.25-mile track and finished .646 seconds ahead of runner-up Dennis Setzer. Johnny Benson was third and had his lead in the points standings over Hornaday cut to 94. Todd Bodine was fourth and Jack Sprague fifth.

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Race Fast Facts
Bristol Motor Speedway
O’Reilly 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Race Winner: Kyle Busch
Age: 23
Team : No. 51 - Miccosukee Resorts/NOSToyota
Owner: Billy Ballew
Crew Chief: Richie Wauters

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