Jonathan Thomas Benson Jr. (born June 27, 1963) is an American retired

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...

driver and the son of former Michigan modified driver John Benson Sr. Benson has raced across

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

's three national series (

Cup A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...

, Busch,

Truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

), and his career highlights include the 1993

American Speed Association The American Speed Association (ASA) is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana, Pendleton, Indiana, and later in Daytona Beach, Florida. The ASA sanctioned asphalt a ...

AC-Delco Challenge series championship, the

1995 NASCAR Busch Series The 1995 NASCAR Busch Series was held February 18 and ended November 5. Johnny Benson of BACE Motorsports won the championship. This was the first season to utilize V8 engines after having used V6 engines since the series began in 1982. Teams a ...

championship, the

1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series The 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 48th season of Sprint Cup Series, professional stock car racing in the United States and the 25th modern-era NASCAR Cup series. The season had been started on February 18 at Daytona International Speedwa ...

Rookie of the Year Award, and the

2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series The 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was the fourteenth season of the Craftsman Truck Series, the third highest stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. It was contested over twenty-five races, beginning with th ...

championship. Benson, who began his NASCAR career in 1993, is the second of only three drivers that have won a championship in both the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series, and the seventeenth of only thirty-six drivers to win a race in each of NASCAR's three national series.

Early career

Benson was born in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. He graduated from

Forest Hills Northern High School Forest Hills Northern High School is a public high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It is one of three high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools district, the other two being Forest Hills Central High School and Forest Hill ...

in 1981. He became a late model champion at

Berlin Raceway Berlin Raceway is a long paved oval race track in Marne, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids. The track races weekly as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. It has also held touring series events on the ARCA Menar ...

Marne, Michigan Marne () is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Wright Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, Wright Township of Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Geography Marne is large and it is northwest ...

before joining the

(ASA) in 1990. During Benson's rookie season in the ASA he captured one pole position, led 174 laps and scored eight top 10 finishes to blitz the competition for the ASA's Pat Schauer Rookie of the Year award. In 1991 Benson compiled 13 top 10s including four second-place finishes. Benson ranked fourth in the ASA AC-Delco Challenge Series in 1991. Benson later went on to win the 1993 ASA championship. During his time in the ASA series he drove the No. 21 Valvoline Chevrolet for Throop Motorsports.

NASCAR career

1993–1999

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, Benson made his

Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

debut at

Michigan International Speedway Michigan International Speedway (formerly named as the Michigan Speedway from 1997 to 2000) is a D-shaped oval superspeedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. It has hosted various major auto racing series throughout its existence, including NASCAR, Cham ...

, driving the No. 41

Delco Remy Remy International, Inc. (formerly Delco Remy) headquartered in Pendleton, Indiana is an American manufacturer, remanufacturer, and distributor of light duty starters, alternators, hybrid power technology, and Delco Remy brand heavy duty system ...

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

for

Ernie Irvan Virgil Earnest Irvan (born January 13, 1959), occasionally referred to as Swervin' Irvan, is an American former professional stock car racing driver. A retired NASCAR competitor, he is perhaps best remembered for his comeback after a serious head ...

. He started 20th, but finished 40th after an early crash when he had flipped in the race. He ran three more races that season in the No. 74 Staff America Chevy for

BACE Motorsports BACE Motorsports was a championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned by entrepreneur Bill Baumgardner, who also founded Staff America. Baumgardner was inspired to start his own team after Staff America was a sponsor in the Busch Series for two ye ...

, qualifying third at

Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". The t ...

. His best finish was 18th at

Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway (currently known as EchoPark Speedway for sponsorship reasons, formerly known as the Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Hampton, Georg ...

. Benson was hired to drive full-time for BACE in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

. He won his first career race at the SplitFire 200 and finished 6th in points, winning Rookie of the Year honors. The following season, Benson won early in the season at Atlanta and Hickory and had 19 Top 10 finishes, winning the championship. He also began running in the Truck Series in the No. 18 Performance Friction

Chevrolet C/K The Chevrolet C/K is a series of trucks that was manufactured by General Motors from the 1960 to 2002 model years. Marketed by both the Chevrolet and GMC divisions, the C/K series encompassed a wide range of vehicles. While most commonly associat ...

for Kurt Roehrig. In his first season, his best finish was 2nd at

Indianapolis Raceway Park Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, about northwest of downtown Indianapolis. It includes a ov ...

. The following season, he won the pole at

North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway is a paved oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by ...

. In 1996, he moved up to the Winston Cup Series, a series Benson's father John Benson Sr. competed in for one race back in 1973. He joined the No. 30

Pennzoil Pennzoil is an American motor oil brand currently owned by Shell plc. The former Pennzoil Company had been established in 1913 in Pennsylvania, being active in business as an independent firm until it was acquired by Shell in 2002, becoming a bra ...

-sponsored team owned by

Bahari Racing Bahari Racing was a NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch team that operated from 1981 to 2001.The Busch team ran from 1989-1996 with Ronnie Sliver and Michael Waltrip driving, and one race with Johnny Benson at Homestead. The team's history of drivers inc ...

. He failed to qualify for one race at the

Food City 500 The Food City 500 is an annual 500-lap, NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This is one of two NASCAR races held at Bristol, the other being the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. It was the first ven ...

, but won the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year title. He won one pole at

. In August, he dominated the

Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...

before a problem on the last pit stop ended his chances for victory. He ended the season with seven Top 10's and was 21st in points. He was invited to the 1996

International Race of Champions International Race of Champions (IROC) was a North American auto racing competition, created by Les Richter, Roger Penske and Mike Phelps, promoted as an American-motorsports equivalent of an all-star game. Despite its name, IROC was primarily ...

as the reigning Busch Series champion, and finished 3rd in the final points, finishing in the Top 10 in all four races. In

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, Benson had eight Top 10's, but did not finish in the Top 5 once. He won his second career pole at Michigan and finished outside of the Top 10 by one point to

Ken Schrader Kenneth William Schrader (born May 29, 1955) is an American professional racing driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while also competing part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 11 Ford Motor ...

. At the end of the season, he announced he would be joining

Roush Racing Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, doing business as RFK Racing, is an American professional stock car organization that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. One of NASCAR's largest racing teams in the 2000s and early 2010s, Roush formerly ...

to run the brand-new No. 26

General Mills General Mills, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded ultra-processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in ...

Cheerios Cheerios is a brand of cereal manufactured by General Mills in the United States and Canada, consisting of pulverized oats in the shape of a solid torus. In Europe, Cheerios is marketed by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand; in Austral ...

Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from 1985 to 2019. From 1985 to 2009, Ford marketed the Taurus alongside its rebadged variant, the Mercury Sable. Four generati ...

. He missed the season opening

Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...

, then finished 30th at the following race. He then had a streak of no finishes worse than 9th over the next five races and rose as high as 10th in points, before he finished 38th and 41st in the next two races. For the rest of the season, his best finish was 9th and he qualified no higher than 2nd. He finished 20th in points. Benson had numerous crew chiefs in 1999. He had two Top 10 finishes and finished 28th in points. After a long negotiation, he was able to buy out his contract and announced he would leave Roush.

2000–2003

At the start of the

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

Winston Cup season, Benson found himself without a sponsor when he signed on to join Tyler Jet Motorsports to run the No. 10 car. The team showed up at

Daytona Daytona may refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach, Florida * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Daytona, the region around Daytona Beach Motor racing * Dayto ...

Speedweeks with a white unsponsored

Pontiac Grand Prix The Grand Prix is a line of automobiles produced by the Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac Division of General Motors from 1962 until 2002 as coupes and from 1989 through 2008 model years as four-door sedans. First introduced as a full-size car, full ...

. Lycos.com signed on to be the team's sponsor for the year on the morning of the

. During the race, Benson and crew chief James Ince gambled on a late pitstop when they took only two right side tires and fuel, to come out with the lead with 43 laps to go. He held off the field until a multi-car crash brought out the caution in the final 10 laps. On the restart with four laps to go, Benson was leading with

Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is an American former race car driver and current racing commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series ...

and

Jeff Burton Jeffrey Tyler Burton (born June 29, 1967), nicknamed "the Mayor", is an American former professional stock car racing driver and current racing commentator. He is a member of the Burton racing family. He scored 23 career victories in the NASCAR ...

right behind. Jarrett bumped Benson, sending him up the track going into turn 1, then passed him for the win while Benson slid back in 12th. Benson finished 6th in the third race at the

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway (track complex formerly known as Las Vegas Speedway Park from 1993 to 1996, Las Vegas Speedway in 1992, Las Vegas International Speedway from 1990 to 1992, as the Las Vegas International Speedrome from 1972 to 1990) is a ...

, and was 11th in points. At the next race at Atlanta, Benson did not qualify in first-round qualifying, and he missed the race after the second round was canceled. Benson finished 2nd three weeks later. At the

Pepsi 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series ci ...

in July, the Tyler Jet Motorsports car showed up at Daytona again with a white car. During the weekend before the race, the team removed the Lycos.com decals. Reports said that it was because Lycos never paid. Tyler Jet went sponsorless for the next four races before Aaron's came aboard right before the team shut down. During the sponsorless run the team was sold to MB2 Motorsports. In August,

Valvoline Valvoline Inc. ( ) is an American retail automotive services company based in Lexington, Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. It licenses the name for a number of Valvoline-labeled Motor oil, automotive oil, Oil additive, additives, and lubricants. It ...

announced they would not only sponsor the team but become part owner. Benson finished 13th in points. Benson began his

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

season with an engine failure that relegated him to 28th-place, a few laps after the race's "Big One" involving 19 cars took place. He had Top 10 finishes in each of the next four races, including a 4th-place run in the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400, which allowed him to be a career-high 2nd in the points (tied with

Sterling Marlin Sterling Burton Marlin (born June 30, 1957) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, winning the Daytona 500 in 1994 and 1995. He ...

) following the spring Darlington Race. He finished 3rd at Texas and Indianapolis. He did not win a points race, although he did win the non-points Winston Open at Charlotte from the pole after leader Ryan Newman in the No. 02

Alltel Alltel was a landline, wireless service provider, wireless and general Telephone company, telecommunications services provider, primarily based in the United States. Before its wireless division was acquired by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, Alltel pr ...

Ford suffered a blown engine late in the race. Benson finished the 2001 season 11th in points. Benson started

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

with a 10th-place finish in the Daytona 500 despite a crash early in the race. In May, Benson agreed to race in the

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

race for

Marsh Racing Marsh Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The team is owned by Ted Marsh, a longtime Chevrolet team sporting the No. 31 with backing from Whelen Engineering. His cur ...

in the No. 31

Whelen Engineering The Whelen Engineering Company is an American corporation that designs and manufactures audio and visual warning equipment for automotive, aviation, and mass notification industries worldwide. Founded in a Deep River, Connecticut garage in 1952 ...

. Benson was involved in a wreck in the early stages of the races and ended up with broken

ribs The rib cage or thoracic cage is an endoskeletal enclosure in the thorax of most vertebrates that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum, which protect the vital organs of the thoracic cavity, such as the heart, lungs and great vessels ...

and he missed three Cup races. At the

in Daytona, he started 6th, and on the eighth lap he got together with

Michael Waltrip Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, racing commentator, racing team owner, amateur ballroom dancing competitor and published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASC ...

. Benson ended up rebreaking his ribs which put him out of action for two more races. At Loudon, Benson started 2nd, led 53 of 207 laps, and finished 4th. Benson tied a career-best 2nd-place finish at the

Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway is a oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States, a community of Martinsville, Virginia. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1947, primarily events sanctione ...

, which he got twice in 2000. On November 3, he started 26th in the 43 car field at the

Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series event that took place in November at the North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 2003. It was the first NASCAR Cup Series victory for three drivers including Mark Martin in 19 ...

at Rockingham. With 50 laps to go, he was running in 5th, and with 28 laps left he passed

Mark Martin Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959), nicknamed "the Kid", is an American former stock car racing driver. He most notably drove the No. 6 Ford Motor Company, Ford for Roush Racing for the majority of his career. From 1989 to 2009, Martin wo ...

(who coincidentally had Valvoline as his sponsor for many years) for the lead. In the last 10 laps, other drivers were running out of gas, including his teammate

. However, Benson held off Martin by 0.26 seconds to win the race. Benson was 6th in points after the first four races of the 2003 season. Benson had Top 5 finishes at Dover and Homestead, and finished 24th in the points. Valvoline decided to release Benson in favor of rookie driver

Scott Riggs Russell Scott Riggs (born January 1, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the 92 for RBR Enterprises in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Racing career Early career Riggs was born in Bahama ...

after the season was over.

Busch and Trucks: 2004–2010

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

started off with Benson signing on with Phoenix Racing to run the full 2004 Busch Series schedule. Benson won his first and only career Busch pole at Rockingham, but a rules violation relegated him to last place when the green flag dropped for the race. He was poised to win at Bristol in the spring until Benson was caught up in a late race incident between

Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...

and David Stremme. Benson was also involved in a crash between the Top 4 drivers at Nashville while racing for the win, and parted ways with Phoenix before the Richmond race. He also drove four races in Phoenix's No. 09 Cup ride, his best finish 27th at the

. Over the next few months Benson ran one Busch race for

Matt Kenseth Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and the current competition advisor for Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series. Most recently, he raced part-time in the Superstar Racing Exper ...

and

Robbie Robbie and Robby, also Robbi and Roby, are given names. They are usually encountered as a nickname or a shortened form of Robert, Rob or Robin. The name experienced a significant rise in popularity in Northern Ireland in 2003. Robbie is also a s ...

and John Reiser. In August he was offered a ride in the

Bill Davis Racing Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009. The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in the Camping World Truck Series (Toyota Tundra) since 2004 and Sprint Cup Series ( T ...

No. 23 truck in the

Craftsman Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...

, which was previously driven by Shelby Howard before he was released from the team. Benson had eight Top 10 finishes in 13 races, finishing 25th in the

series' points standings. Benson had ten Top 10 finishes in 25 races, and was 10th in the

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

points standings. He ran four Busch races, one for FitzBradshaw Racing, and another for Smith Bros. Racing, finishing 18th at Nashville. He also had three Cup starts, two of them in the No. 00

Sara Lee Sara may refer to: People * Sara (given name), a feminine given name People with the given name * Sara Aboobacker (1936–2023), Indian writer and translator * Sara Ahmed (born 1969), British-Australian writer * Sara Allgood (1880–1950), Ir ...

Chevy for

, and another at Atlanta in the No. 23

Dodge Charger The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over eight generations since 1966. The first Charger was a show car in 1964. A 1965 Charger II concept car resembled the 1966 production version. In the United Sta ...

for Bill Davis, finishing 28th. He won his first Craftsman Truck Series race at the 2006 Con-way Freight 200 at the

. With the win, Benson became the seventeenth driver to win a race in all three of NASCAR's major series. He has also won a pole in each of the three series. He followed with a back-to-back win at the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at

Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectat ...

. His third win of the season was at the Toyota Tundra 200 at

Nashville Speedway Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is a motorsport racetrack located at the Nashville Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is the second-oldest continually operating track in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand Nati ...

. His fourth win of the season was at the Sylvania 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Benson won his fifth race of the year at the Casino Arizona 150 at

Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix Raceway (formerly known as ISM Raceway from 2018–2020, Phoenix International Raceway from 1964–1973 and 1976–2017, and FasTrack International Speedway from 1973–1976) is a dogleg oval track in Avondale, Arizona. The track has ...

. Benson finished the 2006 season in 2nd-place, 127 behind

Todd Bodine Todd Martin Bodine (born February 27, 1964) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 62 Toyota Tundra for Halmar Friesen Racing, and is curre ...

. He was named the series' Most Popular Driver for 2006. For the 2007 season, Benson continued to drive in the No. 23 truck for Bill Davis Racing. He finished the season in 3rd-place with four wins: the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at Milwaukee Mile, the O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife at Bristol, the Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at

Gateway International Raceway Gateway Motorsports Park (currently known as World Wide Technology Raceway for sponsorship reasons) is a motor racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a oval that hosts the NASCAR Cu ...

, and the

Ford 200 Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Benson was named the series' Most Popular Driver for the second year in row, becoming the first driver to repeat as award recipient. Benson also returned to NEXTEL Cup racing by driving the

Wyler Racing Turn One Racing (formerly Wyler Racing) was an American NASCAR motor racing team that competed in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team was owned by Ohio car dealer Jeff Wyler until 2009 when dri ...

No. 46

Toyota Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Cam ...

in the

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400 The Toyota Owners 400 was a 400 lap NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. From 2007 to 2011, former race title sponsor Crown Royal named the race after the winner of an essay contest during Day ...

. He also returned to the Busch racing by driving the Phoenix Racing No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the

AT&T 250 The NorthernTool.com 250 is a discontinued NASCAR Nationwide Series race held at the Milwaukee Mile. From 1984 to 1985, the race was 200 laps, long. From 1986 to 1992, no race was held. In 1993, the race returned, and was increased to 250 laps, ...

. Bill Davis also had Benson pull "double duty", driving the No. 23 truck and the No. 36 Toyota Camry in the Cup Series on the same weekend; he did so at the final two races of the year (Phoenix and Homestead-Miami). Benson drove the No. 23 truck in the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series, winning the series championship in the last race of the season. With the title, he became the second driver to win both the Busch Grand National Series and Craftsman Truck Series championships (

Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969), nicknamed "the Biff", is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-1990s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former race ...

accomplished this in 2002). In addition, to date he joined a list of only six drivers to ever win at least one championship in more than one of the three main title series (

Bobby Labonte Robert Allen Labonte (born May 8, 1964) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and current analyst for ''NASCAR on Fox''. He also currently competes part-time in the SMART Modified Tour, driving the No. 18L for Hermie Sa ...

Brad Keselowski Bradley Aaron Keselowski (; born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and entrepreneur. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing, a te ...

, and

Kyle Busch Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation)#ZL1, Chevrolet ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and par ...

are the others, and they have won championships in the second tier and Cup Series.) His first win of the season came at the Camping World RV Sales 200 at the

, the third consecutive race that Benson has won as Milwaukee Mile. His second, third, and fourth wins came at the Built Ford Tough 225 at

Kentucky Speedway Kentucky Speedway is an inactive tri-oval intermediate speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and ...

, the

Power Stroke Diesel 200 The TSport 200 is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in the suburb of Clermont, Indiana, located west of Indianapolis. It was held each year starting in 1995 (the first season of the Truck Series) until 2 ...

O'Reilly Raceway Park Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, about northwest of Downtown Indianapolis, downtown Indianap ...

, and the Toyota Tundra 200 at

Nashville Superspeedway Nashville Superspeedway is a tri-oval intermediate speedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. The track has held a variety of racing events since its opening in 2001, including NASCAR and the IndyCar Series. It is currently owned by Speedway Motorsport ...

. With this series of wins, he became the fifth driver in the Craftsman Truck Series to win three races in a row. His fifth win of the year came at the Kroger 200 at

. Benson was named the series' Most Popular Driver for the third year in row. Also in 2008, after a deal for

Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (; born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian former racing driver, who competed in IndyCar from 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1994 to 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1995, and Formula One from to . Villeneuve won t ...

to drive the Bill Davis Racing No. 27 Toyota Camry fell through, it was announced that Benson and Mike Skinner would share driving duties for the No. 27. Benson failed to qualify in his first appearance in 2008 at the Kobalt Tools 500, which is also Benson's last attempt to run a Sprint Cup series race to date. On November 6, 2008, Benson announced that he would not be returning to Bill Davis Racing after the 2008 season. On December 8, 2008, Benson announced that he would be joining the Red Horse Racing team to drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra in the 2009 season. Benson's crew chief from the 2008 season, Trip Bruce, also joined the No. 1 team. On June 8, 2009, it was announced that Red Horse Racing was having to suspend the No. 1 due to a lack of sponsorship after competing in eight races with four Top 10 finishes. On June 13, 2009 Benson was burned in a fiery crash in an ISMA Supermodifieds race at

. He was transported to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital with where he was hospitalized suffering from a broken collarbone, separated shoulder, three broken ribs, bruised lungs, a fractured wrist and third-degree burns on one elbow. After undergoing two surgeries for the burns and a separated shoulder, Benson fully recovered. For the 2010 season,

Kyle Busch Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) is an American professional dirt racing team that competes in dirt divisions across the United States. They formerly competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, CARS Tour, CRA Super Series, A ...

intended to field a truck for Benson, but did not to secure the necessary sponsorship. Benson served as a mentor to Kyle Busch Motorsports' drivers Brian Ickler and Tayler Malsam. Benson drove for Team Gill Racing in the season opener at Daytona finishing 8th. He then drove for Billy Ballew Motorsports at Martinsville, Kansas, and Dover finishing in the Top 10 in all three races including a pair of 5th-place finishes at Martinsville and Kansas. Benson's only race for Kyle Busch Motorsports came at Texas where he finished 10th. This was his final race in NASCAR.

Turn One Racing Turn One Racing (formerly Wyler Racing) was an American NASCAR motor racing team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team was owned by Ohio car dealer Jeff Wyler until 2009 when driver Stacy Compton bought the assets of Wyl ...

announced in 2011 that they intended to field a truck for Benson in 2012, but the deal fell through due to sponsorship issues.

Post-racing career

Benson currently works for the National Motorsports Appeals Panel. Benson is retired from NASCAR, but still races a supermodified for car owner Brad Lichty on the ISMA tour. He also served as the pace car driver for the 2021 SRX Series. In 2023, Benson was announced as a competitor for the SRX Series in a one-off appearance at

. *Johnny Benson Jr. was inducted in the Grand Rapids, MI Sports Hall of Fame (www.grshof.com) in 2013, following his Father, Johnny Sr. in 2001. *Johnny Benson Jr. was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame(www.mmshof.org) in 2018, following his Father, Johnny Sr. in 1986.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

=Daytona 500

Busch Series

Camping World Truck Series

Superstar Racing Experience

( key) * – Most laps led. ¹ – Heat 1 winner. ² – Heat 2 winner.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Johnny Jr. Living people 1963 births Sportspeople from Grand Rapids, Michigan Racing drivers from Michigan NASCAR drivers NASCAR Xfinity Series champions NASCAR Truck Series champions International Race of Champions drivers American Speed Association drivers RFK Racing drivers Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers Michael Waltrip Racing drivers Herzog Motorsports drivers