Benson best in Bristol

Autoracing Betting Lines

08/23/2007 - Bristol, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Benson used an alternative pit strategy to perfection and captured Wednesday night's O'Reilly 200 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The No.23 Exide Batteries Toyota crossed the finish line seven lengths ahead of Brendan Gaughan.

The victory was Benson's second of the season and seventh of his Craftsman Truck Series career.

Travis Kvapil brought the field to the green flag for 200 laps of pure short track racing. And it wasn't even one lap before the first caution flag flew as Timothy Peters slammed the outside wall.

Kvapil lasted 16 laps before realizing the Gaughan was faster and he let him slide past for the lead. Gaughan, who got married last week, quickly pulled out to a four-length lead. But more caution flags slowed the action to a crawl.

The leaders took the opportunity to pit, possibly for the only time all evening. Mark Martin took fuel only and came out fourth, while Gaughan took two right-side tires and was fifth on the restart.

Johnny Benson didn't stop and inherited the lead as they went back to green on lap 49. Gaughan was still on the move, passing Martin for third and taking off after the leaders. The No.77 Chevrolet got around Jason White for second and had just one truck between himself and the leader, who still had to make a pit stop.

Kvapil was also following Gaughan up the charts and was third at lap 75. In fact, Kvapil was taking a peek to the bottom of the track on Gaughan, but he closed the door. Then Kvapil faked low, went high and took second from Gaughan.

Kvapil got up to Benson's door on lap 97, but a slower car prevented the No.6 Ford from completing the pass.

Tim Sauter broke his rear suspension on lap 103 and Benson took the opportunity to make his pit stop for fuel and four tires. He would restart 17th. That gave the lead to Kvapil with a fast Kyle Busch, Gaughan, points leader Mike Skinner and Martin just behind him.

Laps clicked off slowly as three more caution flag periods kept everyone on hold.

The green flag dropped on lap 129 and off they went. Kvapil was still trying to hold off Busch. Benson restarted in eighth apparently wanting to get back in the battle too.

Sixty laps to go and Kvapil held 0.494 seconds on Busch. Benson was up to sixth, three seconds back. Before the field hit the 150-lap mark, Benson was fourth and challenging Gaughan.

Forty laps remained and Busch was right on Kvapil's rear bumper. Then a debris caution slowed the field. Seeing the flag, Benson was likely smiling as it brought him within striking distance of the leaders.

The race restarted with 34 laps to go. Kvapil got off quickly and built his lead to three lengths. Meanwhile, Benson took third from Gaughan. Derrike Cope slammed the inside wall and the eighth caution flag would last a little while with body pieces and fluid all over the track.

The race finally restarted with just 22 laps remaining. This time Busch was all over Kvapil at the start. They were locked side-by-side in turn four when they both spun. They kept off the walls, but Benson cruised underneath the two spinning trucks and the lead was his once again.

The race restarted with 16 laps to go. Benson, who had gotten four tires at lap 103 was better than Gaughan, who had taken just two right-sides much earlier in the race. But another caution (Todd Bodine spin) gave Gaughan one last chance to figure a way past Benson. Gaughan couldn't find one and Benson took the checkered flag and the victory, his second of the season.

Martin, Skinner and Rick Crawford completed the top-five. For the first time in 20 races, Skinner failed to lead a lap.

The next race on the truck series schedule is set for Saturday, September 1st at the Gateway International Raceway.

Wwwone-and-only Autoracing Betting News

<< Pedroia and Hinske leave BoSox game
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and outfielder Eric Hinske both left Wednesday's game at Tampa Bay. Pedroia was hit by a pitch from Edwin Jackson leading off the third. He remaine

<< Davydenko advances in New Haven
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending champion, top-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko and fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer were second-round winners Wednesday at the $650,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final U.S. Open tune-up

<< Rangers set modern-day run record in 30-3 rout of O's
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marlon Byrd and Travis Metcalf each belted grand slams, helping the Texas Rangers set a modern-record for most runs in a game by decimating the Baltimore Orioles 30-3, in the front end of a twi-nig

<< Tu reaches Forest Hills QFs
Forest Hills, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded American Meilen Tu was among Wednesday's opening-round winners at the $74,800 Forest Hills Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Classic. Rain wiped out opening day here on Tuesday and caused

<< Tigers' Sheffield sidelined with shoulder injury
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield will likely be sidelined a week to rest his aching right shoulder. According to the Tigers' web site, the shoulder has bothered Sheffield for about the last two

Webb's scoreless streak ended in first against Brewers >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona's Brandon Webb saw his record scoreless streak end in the first inning of the Diamondbacks game against the Brewers on Wednesday. Webb, who carried a 42-inning scoreless streak into the

Peavy pitches Padres past Mets >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Khalil Greene had three hits and drove in three runs and Jake Peavy struck out 11 over six innings to lead the San Diego Padres over the New York Mets, 7-5, at Shea Stadium. Peavy (14-5) won his fifth

Dodgers feast on Phils' pitching in 15-3 rout >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andre Ethier belted a two-run home run in the fourth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pounded the Philadelphia Phillies, 15-3, in the second of three straight games at Citizens Bank Park. Matt K

Upton lifts D-Rays past BoSox >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - B.J. Upton's two-run homer in the sixth was all the offense the Devil Rays needed as Tampa Bay downed Boston, 2-1, to avoid a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field. Edwin Jackson (4-12) gave up just o

United top Red Bulls on Moreno's historic night >>
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Red Bulls are the second straight Major League Soccer team to suffer from the David Beckham hangover. On Aug. 12, the New England Revolution hosted Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy

Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.