PRESS RELEASEPRESS RELEASE |
Wounds Healed, Gordon
to Make Return to Track
Driver has four wins at Myrtle Beach
Speedway
The Sun News - Kurt Knapek (June 21, 2007)
(Click Here for Original Article)
Myrtle Beach, SC. - The last time we saw Benny Gordon at
Myrtle Beach Speedway, he had a welt over his right eye after taking
a punch from another team's pit crew member.
"We needed some excitement," Gordon said. "It wasn't all that bad."
To make a long story short, what led to the altercation on pit road
following last September's USAR Hooters Pro Cup race was a
misunderstanding. Jeff Fultz was taken out by a lapped car late in
the race, and thought Gordon was the culprit.
After the race, Fultz turned Gordon's car around on pit road. Then
it all broke lose.
"I went looking for [Fultz] after the race," Gordon said. "We were
going to box ... but we never got the chance."
Gordon left Myrtle Beach Speedway bruised, but with another
successful run finishing third.
The 36-year-old from DuBois, Pa., has won four times here (fall
2003, swept the 2004 races, fall 2005) and has six top-10s in eight
career races. His experience running Late Models and Super Trucks
before starting his Pro Cup career has helped the learning curve ...
and makes him a favorite again Saturday for the Greased Lightning
200.
"I have a good feel for the track, where to be line-wise," Gordon
said. "It's a wore out racetrack. Over the years we've figured stuff
out to keep the vehicle under you for any given amount of laps."
Gordon started slow this season, in part because of driving for a
new team - the car is now sponsored by Samuel Metals and Predator
Performance and owned by Johnny Dangerfield of Moncks Corner. Plus
there was bad luck involved.
"We had two fast cars that got caught up in wrecks," said Gordon,
who finished in 21st at South Boston and 30th at Shenandoah in
Northern Division races. "We had a car that could have won the
races. Then we went to Madison and won the race and that really
turned us around. Now we're finally caught up."
Gordon was 22nd in the North Division points standings after the
first two races and is now second, just 49 points behind Gary St.
Amant.
"It's put a lot of enthusiasm back into the team," he said.
Gordon has two immediate plans.
First is competing in his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race
on Friday night in Milwaukee, Wis.
Then he will return to Myrtle Beach Speedway with hopes to make an
appearance in Victory Lane on Saturday night. He finished 12th and
third here last year and watched as Clay Rogers won both races.
And just as important Saturday is ensuring his car is set up
properly for the Oct. 6 Pro Cup event here, which is part of the
five-race championship series. The last four years, Gordon has been
the only driver heading into the season finale at Lakeland, Fla.,
with a chance to win the title every year.
"Myrtle Beach is one of the tracks that always got us back in the
hunt," Gordon said of the championship series. "I need to get my
ducks in a row for when I come back later this summer ... and get
right for the championship. So when we come back, I have the
confidence to be able to extend or keep ourselves in the
championship hunt."
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