NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series
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TRUCKS: Johnny Benson Seriously Injured
Johnny Benson lost his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ride last week...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted June 14, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson will join Rick Allen and Phil Parsons in the SPEED booth for three upcoming NCTWS races. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson is in serious but stable condition in a Michigan hospital following a fiery crash during a supermodified race on Saturday night.

According to Michigan television station WZZM, Benson crashed entering Turn 3 on the opening lap of an ISMA supermodified race at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich.

The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press reported that Benson’s car made contact with Larry Lehnert and drove over the top of it before bursting into flames, with the driver’s side of Benson’s car up against the wall.
A spokesperson for Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids told the television station that Benson was in serious but stable condition and likely would be upgrading in condition on Sunday morning.

Benson won the NCWTS championship last season driving for Bill Davis Racing. But BDR closed its race teams and sold off its operations at the end of last season.

For the 2009 season, Benson moved to Red Horse Racing, where he drove the No. 1 Toyota Tundra. Through the first eight races of the season, Benson was seventh in points, with three top-five finishes. But Red Horse folded his team last week after failing to secure sponsorship.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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