Red Horse Racing names Johnny Benson driver for 2009 Truck season

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Monday, December 08, 2008
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Johnny Benson, winner of the 2008 NASCAR Craftman Truck Series championship, will drive for Red Horse Racing in 2009.

Marc Serota
Getty Images for NASCAR

The 2008 Craftsman Truck Series champion has a new home.
 
Johnny Benson, who had previously announced he would leave Bill Davis Racing at the end of the 2008 season, will drive the No. 1 truck as a teammate with David Starr for Red Horse Racing, team co-owner Tom DeLoach confirmed Monday.
 
Trip Bruce, Benson’s crew chief, also has joined the team.
 
“It’s fantastic,” DeLoach said in responding to reports that Benson might not return fulltime to the series next season. “I’m looking forward to it. I think Johnny and David will work together really well and I expect good things out of both of them. We have one team and we’ve got two drivers. … Johnny is such a fantastic guy to work with – very analytical, very thoughtful.
 
“I’m just looking forward to working with him. It will be sweet for Red Horse. I’ve wanted to run two trucks for a couple of years and couldn’t get pieces put together and finally got it done.”
 
As far as sponsorship, DeLoach said that sponsors are still being courted. Benson has won titles in the Nationwide and Truck and has 274 career Cup starts.
 
“Johnny will be especially strong, and we’d like to do what no one has ever done before,” DeLoach said. “Johnny would see it as a tremendous accomplishment to repeat with different owners. That would be quite a statement.”

Comments

12 responses to "Red Horse Racing names Johnny Benson driver for 2009 Truck season". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    Andrew Briscoe said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 4:53 PM

    Maybe it's because this is the first season I've actively followed what seems like every rumor to pop up, but doesn't it seem that so far this year just about every rumor that has cropped up has come true? Speculation about JB leaving Bill Davis started like a week before Homestead, and the first rumor was that he would go to Red Horse Racing for 2009. So far the only rumor to not come true was a Petty-Ganassi or Ganassi-Waltrip merger, but Ganassi still merged....

    It's just depressing to hear something get leaked out weeks before it's official ALL OF THE TIME. People should be better at keeping secrets.

  2. 2
    Sheila Hawley said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 4:58 PM

    You forget, Bob. Johnny has a win in Cup. He won the Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham in October one year driving the #10 Valvoline car. It was a Busch Championship that he won. And he's the last truck driver to win the Craftsman Truck series.

  3. 3
    Pamela Johnson said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 6:35 PM

    I guess I should pay more attention. I didn't realize he was going to another team; thought he was retiring or going part time or something. I gather that's what the Davis' thought too. I feel for Bill and Gail. I've always like Johnny but think he could have done that deal with a bit more class.

  4. 4
    Betty Stoneman said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 7:13 PM

    Johnny Benson is one of the classiest drivers on the circuit -- whether cup, Nationwide or trucks. He is a gentleman, well-spoken and a clean driver. Mr. & Mrs. Davis knew early on that he would not be back for 2009. I'm a Hornaday fan, but everyone must like Johnny.

  5. 5
    Barbara Floyd said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 7:21 PM

    I am so very glad that Johnny will be a full tme driving in the trucks, and be driving with my favorite David Starr. Don't know what transpeired with Bill Davis Racing, but guess some things are letf better unsaid. Good luck Johnny.

    Barbara Floyd

  6. 6
    terry ruth said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 8:02 PM

    I still think Johnny can run Sprint Cup if someone would give him something descent to drive...good luck Johnny!!!!!

  7. 7
    Teema H. said:
    Dec 8, 2008 at 8:25 PM

    JB said in an interview just before the end of the season that"there were some issues that couldn't be ironed out with BDR" and that he was leaving and did not know what he was going to do at that point...drive, retire, drive a part-time schedule for someone.
    I am glad he will be back in a truck to defend his championship and wish him the greatest good luck!!

  8. 8
    Sarah Oxfurth said:
    Dec 9, 2008 at 12:38 PM

    Cool. And, his decision to leave BDR didn't depend upon his retirement of part-time scheduling from all accounts. That decision was made long before he had any idea what he would do in 2009. So, i think there's probably a lot of water under that bridge that isn't getting discussed, and honestly, the things said by the Davises make me believe that indeed, there were some hard feelings there.

  9. 9
    Pat Draper said:
    Dec 9, 2008 at 2:12 PM

    Well number one Johnny is not a cup driver. There are to many good veterns drivers and a few new one like AJ that need a cup ride. I also thought he was retiring and sure was surprise to read other wise. He sure didn't make the stitch with class. I thought he was a class act but this tells me he isn't. Its to bad for the Davis's he pulled something like this. Don't think much of him anymore.

  10. 10
    Tim the Fan said:
    Dec 9, 2008 at 6:22 PM

    Pat, Pat, Pat. Are you paying attention? The only one's that have been doing any bashing or suggesting that there was a problem is the Davis's. Johnny simply announced that he was leaving BDR. He gave them much praise and thanked them earnestly in the Championship Circle for everything they had done for him. Sometimes people just need to move on and even when their not aware of where or why. Competitors often feel stagnate in one situation for to long. Or maybe just a better situation arises and they move. Stewart for example.

  11. 11
    beth emerson said:
    Dec 11, 2008 at 4:58 PM

    # 10 you said it all. Everyone involved knew well in advance of Johnny leaving BDr. Johnny is one of the class in the truck series. I have been a Benson fan since he started racing. good luck johnny lets get another championship in 2009.

  12. 12
    Bill Waters said:
    Jan 12, 2009 at 3:19 PM

    I had the opportunity to meet JB and found him a class act. I wish someone like Richard Childress would offer him a cup ride. As we all know JB won teh Busch Series Championship in a Chevrolet. Go Johnny Go, Johnny B Good

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