Backstretch Motorsports

By Amanda Brahler

CLERMONT, Ind. (July 25, 2008) — Johnny Benson claimed his second straight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on Friday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, holding off the challenge of Ron Hornaday, Jr. during a final two-lap run to the checkered flag in the Power Stroke Diesel 200.

Benson has claimed three wins this season in the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota, all falling over the last four races. He was also the 10th different winner in the last 10 truck races at ORP.

Benson started the race eighth, the farthest back any truck series driver has started and won. Previously, nobody had won the event starting outside the top five.

Though falling short at the finish, Hornaday dominated the event, taking the lead from polesitter Bobby East on Lap 5. He led a race-high 153 laps before Benson swooped in for the lead by using the high lane in Turn 2 on Lap 162.

“There was no doubt we were the best two trucks,” Benson said of himself and Hornaday from victory lane. “I started running his groove, it wasn’t too bad. We made that pass on the outside of Ron. I didn’t think it was going to stick.”

Erik Darnell and Matt Crafton finished third and fourth, while Crafton’s ThorSport Racing teammate Shelby Howard, who will make his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the season Saturday — the first for NCTS staple ThorSport — was a career-best fifth. The race also marked the first time that both ThorSport teams finished in the top five.

There were 11 caution flags through the event, with Kyle Busch again stirring up some controversy after he sent Chad McCumbee into the wall on Lap 136.

With 13 laps remaining, on Lap 187, Crafton got into Todd Bodine between Turns 1 and 2. Bodine hit the wall, also collecting Jack Sprague. The caution set up a restart on Lap 192, lining the field up for a single-file restart.

Hornaday was given one more chance to reclaim the lead as the 11th caution flag of the night dropped on Lap 195 when Benson’s Bill Davis Racing teammate, Michael Annett, spun while pressuring Rick Crawford for the third position.

The final restart fell on Lap 198 of the 200-lap race. Hornaday gathered a final charge at Benson but his Chevrolet slipped high, allowing Benson to pull away.

Benson now leads Hornaday by 15 points in the season standings.

Brendan Gaughan, T.J.Bell, Busch, Mansfield winner Donny Lia and Mike Skinner closed out the top 10.

NASCAR Race Number 14
Unofficial Race Results for the Power Stroke Diesel “200″ - Friday, July 25, 2008
O’Reilly Raceway Park - Clermont, IN - .686 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 200 Laps - 137.2 Miles - Purse: $556,112

Leader
Fin Str Trk Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Winnings Status Times Laps
1 8 23 Johnny Benson Vemma Toyota 200 190 5 $58,125 Running 2 43
2 4 33 Ron Hornaday Jr. VFW Chevrolet 200 180 10 $36,700 Running 2 153
3 3 99 Erik Darnell Northern Tool + Equipment Ford 200 165 $26,320 Running
4 11 88 Matt Crafton Menards/Johns Manville Chevrolet 200 160 $17,160 Running
5 6 13 Shelby Howard FarmPaint.com Chevrolet 200 155 $17,035 Running
6 15 10 Brendan Gaughan International MAXXFORCE Diesel Ford 200 150 $13,435 Running
7 17 7 TJ Bell Jr. Iams/Home 4 the Holidays Chevrolet 200 146 $12,310 Running
8 12 51 Kyle Busch Miccosukee Resorts/NOS Energy Drink Toyota 200 142 $9,885 Running
9 24 71 Donny Lia # NationRides.com Chevrolet 200 138 $13,060 Running
10 9 5 Mike Skinner Toyota Tundra Toyota 200 134 $13,435 Running
11 13 60 Terry Cook Wyler.com Toyota 200 130 $11,935 Running
12 7 14 Rick Crawford Circle Bar Truck Corral/Powerstroke Diesel Ford 200 127 $12,135 Running
13 27 40 Chad Chaffin Key Motorsports Chevrolet 200 124 $11,810 Running
14 28 81 Landon Cassill GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 200 121 $9,535 Running
15 5 6 Colin Braun # Con-way Freight Ford 200 118 $12,685 Running
16 23 11 David Starr Red Horse Racing Toyota 200 115 $11,835 Running
17 2 2 Jack Sprague American Commercial Lines Chevrolet 200 112 $11,385 Running
18 30 08 Jason White GunBroker.com Dodge 200 109 $11,310 Running
19 1 09 Bobby East Zaxby’s Ford 200 111 5 $13,160 Running 1 4
20 32 59 Ted Musgrave Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota 200 103 $11,910 Running
21 16 22 Michael Annett Pilot Travel Centers Toyota 200 100 $9,660 Running
22 14 30 Todd Bodine Lumber Liquidators Toyota 200 97 $9,585 Running
23 20 4 Stacy Compton Wabash Valley Chrysler Dodge 199 94 $8,535 Running
24 26 21 Keven Wood The Barnhill Group Ford 198 91 $8,460 Running
25 19 15 Marc Mitchell # Hyprene-Ergon Toyota 198 88 $8,435 Running
26 10 18 Dennis Setzer Tahoe Dodge 197 85 $8,385 Running
27 31 07 Sean Murphy ASI Limited Chevrolet 196 82 $8,360 Running
28 25 12 Mario Gosselin crashedtoys.com Chevrolet 177 79 $8,335 Transmission
29 21 16 Brian Scott # Albertsons Chevrolet 162 76 $8,310 Accident
30 18 9 Justin Marks # Crocs Toyota 151 73 $8,295 Accident
31 22 8 Chad McCumbee Malcolmson Construction Chevrolet 136 70 $8,285 Accident
32 34 73 Nick Tucker Dodge 19 0 $8,270 Engine
33 33 74 Derrike Cope Dodge 9 64 $8,260 Power Steering
34 29 0 Johnny Chapman ASI Limited Chevrolet 2 0 $8,250 Rear End
Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 30,000 - Johnny Benson won the Power Stroke Diesel 200, his 12th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory and first at O’Reilly Raceway Park. Prior to the green flag the following driver(s) dropped to the rear of the field: #59 Musgrave (Unapproved adjustments during impound).
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 49 Mins, 58 Secs. Average Speed: 74.859 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.484 Seconds
Caution Flags: 11 for 48 laps: Laps: 40-43 (#7 spun turn 3); 86-90 (#16 spun turn 4); 115-119 (debris.); 123-126 (#4, #09 accident frontstretch); 128-133 (#9 spun backstretch); 136-139 (#8 accident turn 1.); 154-157 (#9 accident turn 3); 163-168 (#16 accident backstretch); 175-178 (#15 accident turn 1); 188-191 (#2,6,30,60 accident turn 2); 197-198 (#22 accident turn 4).
Lead Changes: 4 among 3 drivers: B. East 1-4; R. Hornaday Jr. 5-86; J. Benson 87-90; R. Hornaday Jr. 91-161; J. Benson 162-200.
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) J. Benson 2,071;(2) R. Hornaday Jr. 2,056;(3) M. Crafton 2,040;(4) R. Crawford 1,916;(5) M. Skinner 1,914;(6) T. Bodine 1,867;(7) E. Darnell 1,846;(8) T. Cook 1,825;(9) J. Sprague 1,787;(10) D. Starr 1,749.
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award : Shelby Howard, #13 (13 Places) Keystone Light Pole Award : Bobby East, #09 (108.602 mph)
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Ron Hornaday, Jr., #33 Mobil1 Command Performance Driver of the Race : Johnny Benson, #23
Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award : Donny Lia, #71 Sunoco Diamond Performance : Johnny Benson, #23
Wix Filters Lap Leader Award : Ron Hornaday, Jr., #33 (153 Laps)
Next Race: Aug. 9, 2008 - Nashville Superspeedway