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NASCAR Veteran Benson on Board for Irving Oil 250 Benson, Irving Oil and Ultimate Motorsports Team Up
July 6th, 2005 - Fredericton, NB – Last year’s Irving Oil 250 at New Brunswick International Speedway attracted one of the best fields of pro stock cars ever seen in the region. This year’s field has already broken that standard. Veteran NASCAR driver Johnny Benson has thrown his hat into the ring for the 2005 Irving Oil 250, which will take place on September 4th, 2005. The current Craftsman Truck Series driver and former Nextel/Winston Cup regular announced that he has teamed with Irving Oil and Ultimate Motorsports to make the trek north to Fredericton, NB for the Labour Day event.
“We are thrilled to have a driver of Johnny Benson’s calibre racing in the Irving Oil 250,” said NBIS co-owner Chris Johnston. “The race has grown each year since its inception and this just brings it to a whole new level. It’s hard to believe that we could top the 2004 event, but 2005 is shaping up to be the new standard.” Johnny Benson currently races for Bill Davis Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series. He has competed in 268 Nextel/Winston Cup races over nine years and was the Rookie of the Year in 1996. He has also competed in 86 Busch Series races over 8 years and was the 1994 Rookie of the Year. He followed his Rookie of the Year Award with a Busch Series Championship in 1995. In 1993, the Michigan native won the American Speed Association (ASA) Championship. “I’m really looking forward to coming to the Irving Oil 250,” said Benson. “I always enjoy the opportunity to return to short track racing because that’s where my career started. For fans and drivers, nothing beats the kind of tight, competitive racing that comes with short tracks.” Benson added, “The fact that the Irving Oil 250 brings out the Northeast’s best pro stock competitors makes it that much more appealing.” This is the third year for Irving Oil’s sponsorship of the Irving Oil 250. The New Brunswick based energy processing and supply chain management corporation has played an important role in growing the event in partnership with New Brunswick International Speedway. “We are very excited to bring Johnny Benson to fans and supporters of the Irving Oil 250 at the New Brunswick International Speedway,” said Andrew Daggett, Irving Oil Merchandising Manager. “Johnny is a seasoned driver who continues to compete and succeed in NASCAR's premier series, and also as a fan favorite away from the track on Speed Channel. We look forward to continuing to find ways to enhance and grow the event.” Benson’s entry is the second Irving sponsored car to announce its intentions to race in the September event. Travis Benjamin, who is running both the Oxford 250 and the Irving Oil 250 at NBIS in an Irving Car, will also have Coke and Humpty Dumpty on board as co-sponsors at the NBIS race. Ultimate Motorsports is located in Boundary Creek, NB and is owned and operated by 2004 NBIS CARQUEST Pro Stock Division Champion and 2002 Irving Oil 250 Champion Dave O’Blenis. Started in 1998, Ultimate Motorsports sells performance parts, custom exhausts, and fabricates chassis. “We couldn’t be happier to be involved with providing Johnny Benson, a proven first class driver who has raced against the best, with a car for the Irving Oil 250,” said O’Blenis. “It’s a privilege and a great showcase for Ultimate Motorsports products. With a smile, O’Blenis added, “I wish him all the best of luck. Of course, I’m hoping he’s the second best Ultimate Motorsports built car at the end of the race,” referring to his own entry and desire to win the Irving Oil 250. Please contact Gord Curran at New Brunswick International Speedway (506-455-3181 or gord.curran@nbisonline.com) if you have any questions. The
Irving Oil 250 The
2005 Irving Oil 250 will take place on Sunday, September 4th, 2005 and
will be the highlight of the fourth annual Speedweekend. The event will
showcase the NBIS CARQUEST Pro Stocks against the best of the Eastern
Canada and New England. The purse for 2005 will be over $60,000 with a
guaranteed $15,000 to the event winner and possible winner’s cheque of
$27,500. Two years ago, the late Scott Fraser took home a record $25,400
including lap money. Only five years old, the event as grown in crowd,
atmosphere, and car count every year since its inception. Over 7,000
people attended the 2004 event to break attendance records at Canada’s
Fastest Short Track. A record 36 pro stock cars, including several Maine
drivers, attempted to qualify for 28 spots on the starting grid. Speedweekend Just
like the Irving Oil 250, Speedweekend continues to grow every year with
over 12,000 people attending the weekend in 2004. The four-day stock car
fest is scheduled for September 2nd-5th, 2005 and includes a corn boil on
Friday night, Sportsman 150 race on Saturday night, the Irving Oil 250 on
Sunday, and finishes up with an Enduro 200 on Monday. While the Irving Oil
250 is the highlight of the racing events, the weekend has developed into
an event on its own with over 300 campers turning NBIS into a small town
over the weekend. It has become the destination of choice for the
region’s stock car fans. New
Brunswick International Speedway New
Brunswick International Speedway is Canada’s Fastest Short Track. The
1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a
weekly basis: CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire
Street Stocks. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend over 25 events
during the 2005 season. NBIS is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in
Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton. NBIS can
be found online at www.nbisonline.com.
Johnny
Benson More
information about Johnny Benson can be found at www.johnnybenson.com.
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The
Irving Oil 250 is only five years old, but the region’s top pro stock drivers
regard the race as the premier stock car event of the season. Shawn Tucker,
winner of the 2004 Irving Oil 250 and defending CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour
Champion, stated that the 2004 race was one of the most competitive fields he
has ever raced against. A big purse, a great field of drivers, and a huge crowd
are all appealing elements of the event for drivers. This year it will have the
added attraction of racing against a proven driver who has raced with some of
the best stock car racers in the world.