Johnny Benson and his No. 23 TCUV team headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend hoping for another top-five finish at the 1.5 mile speedway. Benson had already earned two top-five finishes in three starts at Las Vegas. He also wanted to gain more ground in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship standings.

Rain cancelled part of Saturday's scheduled practice sessions, and the NCTS teams received a single two-hour practice session. The No. 23 truck did not run as well as its team would have liked, and the crew made many changes to the machine.

Benson was the first driver to make his qualifying attempt. His lap time of 31.549 seconds earned Benson the 22nd starting position for Saturday night's race.

Benson immediately began to work his way forward upon the start of the race. He reached the 11th position by lap 20. He reported to the crew that his truck was hitting its nose on the ground and that its handling was tight. Benson was relieved to see the caution flag wave on lap 33. The caution enabled him to pit for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. The No. 23 crew performed a great pit stop, and Benson restarted fifth on lap 38.

Benson maintained his position throughout the next several laps, but it didn't take long before he made his move. By lap 65, Benson was in the top-three, and by lap 71, he was the race leader.

Benson came down pit road under caution on lap 87. After a stop similar to the one earlier in the race, Benson restarted second.

He drove hard into the corners and fought for position within the top-three during a long green flag run. Benson regained the lead with a few laps remaining, all the while battling Travis Kvapil for every inch on the track. Benson crossed the line in the second position when the checkered flag waved.

The Craftsman Truck Series heads to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in two weeks. The race will be televised live on SPEED on Saturday, Oct. 6.