High Sierra Photo

With five races remaining in the 2006 season, Johnny Benson and the No. 23 NAPA Toyota Tundra team knew that maintaining a chance to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship would require a lot of hard work in Martinsville. The No. 23 team was caught up in a wreck when the series visited the .526-mile oval in the spring, which resulted in the team's worst finish of the season. The NAPA Tundra team was confident in the chassis it brought for Saturday's race and expected great things in the race.

Benson was very happy with the way his truck handled in both of Friday's practice sessions. The team made a couple of minor adjustments to the truck, hoping to dial it in for the 200-lap race Saturday afternoon. Benson explained to his crew that the truck was cutting really well in the center of the corners, and he could really get back on the gas. Benson was fourth on the speed chart at the end of the final practice session. The team remained optimistic about the race.

Benson had what seemed to be an advantageous late qualifying draw, as the sun was starting to set over the south end of speedway. As the sun set, the track started to gain grip, which helped the competitors' lap times. Benson's time of 20.139 seconds was good enough for the 21st spot on the grid, but it baffled the team as to why it struggled in qualifying after such a stellar performance in practice.

When the green flag waved on an almost perfect fall afternoon, Benson knew he would have to be smart to make it to the finish of the race and keep his championship hopes alive. On lap 24, he reported to his crew that the truck's handling was loose in and tight off the corners. Crew Chief Rick Ren and the No. 23 discussed what changes would be required during the first pit stop.

That first pit stop occurred under caution on lap 33. The fuel-only stop also included a trackbar adjustment. The team gambled by not changing tires, but it wanted to take advantage of track position, which is key at such a small track.

The race restarted on lap 37, and Benson had his NAPA Tundra in the 10th spot. He cautiously worked his way through the field, passing his competitors on both the high and low sides of the racetrack. He stood seventh at the halfway point of the event. Benson was very quiet on the radio, which the team knew meant he was happy with his truck and was just trying to hit his marks.

Benson continued to move forward, eventually reaching the fifth position by the time the checkered flag waved. It was the team's 12th top-five finish of the season. With the No. 30 truck's misfortune, the team picked up valuable ground in the points standings. The team only sits 79 points behind leader Todd Bodine, driver of the No. 30 machine.