This is Johnny Benson's fourth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) win of this season, and his fourth career NCTS win. All four of Johnny Benson's wins have come in the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Tundra.
JOHNNY BENSON, Bill Davis Racing, No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra:
"This thing was just awesome, especially in the middle of the race. This thing was just unbelievable. The guys wanted to make some adjustments and it was running so good, I didn't know what adjustments to make. So, we just made a couple air adjustments. We were consistent on pit road, which got us where we needed to be to take advantage of having a fast Tundra. I don't know what else to say, this thing was just incredible."
On racing Todd Bodine: "It started to get hard on the tires. I love racing with Todd (Bodine), but I knew I needed to get by him. Todd raced me clean, just like all these guys in the Craftsman Truck Series, which is why I love racing here. We bumped just once - but raced each other clean. It was great hard racing with Todd and we did what we needed to do."
On the championship battle: "The only way we're going to catch Todd (Bodine) is by doing what we did today, there's no other way. Todd and the guys at Germain Racing are consistent and they have been all year long. I don't think we've been bad by any means, but when they have a bad race they're 15th and 18th, and when we have a bad race we're 22nd and 32nd. Even with what we did today, I don't think we'll catch him as long as he continues running. As long as this thing is in 'Victory Lane' for Toyota and all our sponsors, it doesn't matter. We're doing everything we can to try and go get him. If we get him great, and if we don't we'll go down swinging."
"That's all we got, even if we win races and do everything we can, we're probably not going to catch Todd. But, I'm proud of this race team. It was a great effort today by the guys in the pits and the guys back at the shop. I'm just the fortunate guy that gets to drive these things and have fun."
TODD BODINE, Germain Racing, No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra:
Are you happy with today's result? "To finish fourth after being where we were in practice, 20th or so, is good. We qualified seventh and finished fourth, but we lost too many points (in the championship standings). Johnny (Benson) and Rick (Crawford) are going to be tough and they are going to be tough the rest of the year, we just can't let them beat us. If they finish third, we have to finish second. And if they finish 10th, we have to finish ninth. We have our work cut out for us because they are awful good. It's going to be a dogfight the rest of the year."
MIKE SKINNER, Bill Davis Racing, No. 5 Toyota Tundra:
How was your day? "When we qualified I was concerned about the truck being free enough to race, and we never got it loosened up. If we struggle with anything, it's making adjustments coming down pit road. That's our weakness and as soon as we get that worked out this team will be really, really good. I'm happy that we had a good run. Our performance has been really good, but something always seems to happen. We finished today where I think we should have finished, we had a second or third-place truck, and that's were we finished."
A.J. ALLMENDINGER, Bill Davis Racing, No. 24 Tundra:
How was your day? "Overall, it was a good day. It was a fine line getting the truck driven the way it was handling today. It had a bit of push in the center of the corner - and I had to work with that. On the restarts, a couple of times I got it right and a couple of times I got it wrong."
Notes:
- This is Toyota's third season, and 68th race, in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS).
- Toyota Tundras have won 22 NCTS races since the beginning of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season.
- Drivers who have registered wins driving Tundras include Todd Bodine (10), Johnny Benson (4), Mike Skinner (2), Travis Kvapil (2), David Reutimann (1), Jack Sprague (1), David Starr (1) and Brandon Whitt (1).
- Toyota drivers who have won races in 2006 include Johnny Benson (NH, Nashville, Milwaukee and Michigan), Todd Bodine (Atlanta, St. Louis and Texas), Jack Sprague (Memphis) and David Starr (Martinsville).
- Toyota Tundras have won 27 NCTS poles since the beginning of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season.
- This year, Mike Skinner (New Hampshire, Kansas, Michigan, Charlotte and Texas), David Reutimann (California and Dover), Todd Bodine (Atlanta) and Jack Sprague (Memphis) have put Tundras on the pole.
- Mike Skinner has 14 career pole positions driving a Tundra. This year, Skinner has a series-high five poles. Last year, Skinner had a series-high seven pole positions and in 2004 he had two poles.
- Other Tundra pole winners since the beginning of the 2004 NCTS season include David Reutimann (6), Bill Lester (2), Brandon Whitt (2), Todd Bodine (1), Travis Kvapil (1) and Jack Sprague (1).