Johnny Benson had an odd first season as part of the Roush empire. He failed to make the Daytona 500 field, finished in the top 10 in seven of the next nine races and then had only three top 10s the rest of the way. Consistency, therefore, would seem to be the obvious goal for Benson's team. Benson, '96
rookie of the year and '95 Grand National series champion, gets his best
opportunity to break through and become a winner. Already shown he can be
consistently competitive -- he finished out of top 25 only seven times last
year.
Career:
After missing the season-opening 1998 Daytona 500, Benson proceeded to qualify for the remaining 32 races with an average starting position of 25th. Despite three top-five finishes and 10 top-10s, he took the checkered flag in an average 22nd place. His 3,160 points was good enough to land him in 20th place in the Winston Cup standings, a drop-off from his 1997 season, which saw him finish barely outside the top-10.
"I guess we left a tire off (loose lug nuts forced him to pit under green). I guess we thought it might be a little lighter without one. That cost us dearly. It almost got us two laps down. Had that big wreck not happened, we would have been two laps down. I hate to see the wreck, but it saved us. We still finished a lap down and that isn't any good. We came home in one piece. If we hadn't left the lugs loose, we would have been fine. I think we could have finished in the top-10, but that's woulda, coulda, shoulda." -- Oct. 12, 1997 after Talladega
Johnny Benson, the 1995 Busch Grand National champion, graduated to Winston Cup in 1996. He started the Brickyard 400 in 14th place and finished in eighth place.
The second-generation driver from Grand Rapids, Mich. won the 1996 WC rookie-of-the-year title. He was the only candidate.
His debut came in the Daytona 500, starting 27th and finishing 23rd after completing the full 200 laps. In his fourth race, the Purolator 500 at Atlanta, he started on the pole.
He captured two Busch Grand National victories in 1995 and won rookie-of-the-year title. The title was also his in 1990 with the American Speed Association.
Was the fastest qualifier at Atlanta in 1996, picking up his first career Winston Cup Series Busch Pole Award.
Became the first driver ever to capture the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division title one year after winning the series' Rookie of the Year award.
Won 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year award.
Led the most laps (70) of any driver in the 1996 Brickyard 400 before finishing in the top-10
Sources: NASCAR Press Guides, Star and News staff reports.
