Next Event: Daytona - February 12th
7:30 p.m. - On SPEED
NextEra Energy Resources
100 Laps - 250 Miles
Wednesday - Practice: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday - Practice: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
- Qualifying: 6:00 p.m.
~~~~~
Johnny to Drive in Daytona
By: Steve
Kaminski
Grand Rapids stock car driver Johnny Benson Jr.
has been itching to take a green flag since he
crashed out of a Supermodified race at Berlin
Raceway in June and spent three nights in the
hospital.
The wait is almost over for Benson, who said
Friday that he has a ride for the upcoming
season-opening NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb.
12.
Benson will be driving the No. 95 Team Gill
Racing Ford F-150 for the brand new team.
A press release was published on jayski.com
Thursday night stating that Team Gill Racing was
committed to racing all 25 races. However,
Benson said the team has committed to race only
Daytona at this point. “I haven’t seen
that release,” said Benson, the 2008 Camping
World champion who lost his ride this past June
when his Red Horse Racing team folded due to
lack of sponsorship. “As far as I know, right
now, I am only doing Daytona. It might be more
races, or it might be a one race deal. I just
don’t know. But I am extremely excited
about going to Daytona. (Car owner) Danny Gill
has been around a long time and he’s a great
guy, and I’m confident that we will be able to
run in the top five.”
Gill is a veteran crew chief from Tennessee, and
he will be doubling as Benson’s crew chief at
Daytona. He has assembled the team this
off-season.
Benson has been working with NASCAR superstar
Kyle Busch in recent months in an attempt to
secure sponsorship to race one of Busch’s
trucks. He said the search for funding is
continuing.
Benson said he remains optimistic that he will
be running the entire circuit this year.
“I would like to think that is possible,” Benson
said. “Without some sponsorship aspect, I don’t
think it will happen. But you never know. We
just have to go to Daytona, work hard and do
what we got to do. If I have to jump around a
little bit from team to team, I will do that.”
Benson said his health is great. He had a chance
to test Busch’s trucks at New Smyrna Speedway in
Florida earlier this month, marking the first
time he has been behind a wheel since the Berlin
accident. “It’s great to get in a truck
and run some laps,” Benson said. “Everything
seems to be normal. Nothing bothered me and that
is a plus. I knew I was going to be fine, but
you never know until you go do it. I have to
thank Kyle for letting me go down there and do
it. That was a very good opportunity."
~~~~~
A Glimpse Inside the RV Show
By: Barb
A couple of weeks ago, Johnny
returned to Grand Rapids to sign autographs at the RV
show held at Devos Hall. Cindy from Show Span
coordinated Johnny's appearance and the JBFC was there
to support the show.
My mom came along for the day. The
show opened at 10:00 a.m. and we had to be there an hour
before to set up. Once we got set up, we just
looked at each and Hmm ... Johnny does not have to be
here until 1:00 p.m. - what's wrong with this picture!
 |
|
Judy Benson
|
I was totally amazed at the
amount of RV's available for people to do a walk
through. There were many booths set up for
campgrounds, resorts and even a kids play area.
American RV located on 76th St. brought an RV to
be the backdrop where Johnny was going to sign.
The best feature of the RV was a kitchen on the
outside which included a refrigerator, stove and
sink! The show attendees thought we were
the sales people and starting asking us
questions. The salesman said if I
sold it I would get $100. It was all in
good fun until someone mentioned the antifreeze
was leaking - then I wanted no part of it!
 |
|
Tammy
Phillips, Darryl Eacott and Friend
traveled from Canada to meet Johnny |
Around noon, the race fans
started to show up and get in line for an
autograph. I must say - the fans were so
nice. They were concerned about how Johnny
was feeling. And if Johnny was getting a
sponsor to he could be racing - why is it so
hard to get a sponsor? My response - the
economy is tough these days and sponsorships are
hard to secure. You need everything in
line between the owner, the driver and the team
brand. One lady mentioned that Kyle has
all these sponsors like M & M's. I said
not really, M & M's is a JGR sponsor.
Bottom line - most of the fan said,
"If Johnny isn't racing, they were not going to
be watching NASCAR!".
 |
 |
The best part of the show was watching the kids come
through the line to meet Johnny. Fan club members
were scattered through out the line and it was nice to
see them in attendance. Jan Florence made the
event - but I did not do a good job in taking her
picture - it came out blurry! She asked me if
Johnny was fixing his supermodified. I told her
she would have to ask Johnny. When she got her
turn in line - she did not want an autograph - just
thanked Johnny for coming back to GR. And oh, by
the way - "Barb wants to know if you are fixing your
supermodified?" Johnny laughed and told Jan to
tell Barb it's none of her business. I had a good
laugh over that one!
I would say Johnny's appearance at the RV show was a
success! It was great to connect with his fans and
see their support. This was my first time at the
RV show ... I will say I am totally spoiled -
since I prefer hotel living to "camping". But I
was totally amazed that you could buy an RV with a
kitchen on the outside and sign up for a spot in the
nudist campground all in one afternoon!
Until next time .... Barb
NASCAR Cutting Race Purses to all Three Series
NASCAR is
cutting by about 10 percent the race winnings it
will award teams in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide
and Truck Series this season, officials
confirmed on Friday. The reduction is part of
cost-cutting measures that will alleviate some
of the financial burdens on tracks that have
suffered during a tough economic environment
that has forced them to cut ticket prices with
declining attendance.
"Last year we launched an industry-wide effort to help the sport manage
budgets in this economy," NASCAR spokesman
Ramsey Poston said Friday. "NASCAR did the right
thing to work with the tracks to reduce their
costs in order to manage the economic realities.
In return, the tracks have done a great job
reducing ticket prices and enhancing the fan
experience. Likewise, we worked with the teams
to contain costs such as elimination of testing
and other steps. This is consistent with how
virtually every sport and business has adjusted
to the economy over the past year." Bruton
Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports
Inc., which owns nine tracks that host Cup,
Nationwide and Truck events, applauded NASCAR
for making the cut. He doesn't believe drivers
will particularly like it, "but they understand.
Congratulations!
To Robert Wojton of
Missouri who won the fan club contest
for December. He won a Craftsman Truck
Victory Lane hat - autographed by Johnny.
Your prize is on its way!
Congratulations!
To Donald Apsey of Michigan
who attended the RV show and won the hat
drawing. It is a Toyota Certified Used
Vehicle victory lane hat - autographed by
Johnny. Your prize is on its way!
Get Well!
The JBFC would like to
send out get well wishes to Carol Penninga who
is recovering at home from recent surgery.
Trucks Return to Darlington
Speedway
The
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make a
return to the track “Too Tough to Tame” on
August 14, 2010 announced. “Our fans have asked
us to bring back the NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series because Darlington is a perfect fit for
the tough racing the series offers,” said
Darlington President Chris Browning. “We are
excited to be able to bring back the trucks in
2010 and look forward to putting on a memorable
show for all of our fans.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced at
Darlington Raceway from 2001-04. The late Bobby
Hamilton won the Inaugural event in 2001 and
again in 2003. Ted Musgrave raced to Victory
Lane in 2002 and Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne
took the checkered flag in 2004 – the series’
last visit to the track. General admission
seating is available for only $25 and children
12 and under will be admitted free. Each
admission includes all practice and qualifying
sessions as well as the Too Tough to Tame 200
which is set to take the green-flag at
approximately 7:30 p.m. In addition to
grandstand seating, fans may also purchase a
pre-race pit pass for just $15 each. Tickets can
be purchased by calling the Darlington Raceway
ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at
http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/
