Courtesy Gord Curran, General Manager, NBIS
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.
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.
“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.
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