Benson in Serious Condition

[Scottt]

Sports - Johnny Benson Jr. seriously injured in Berlin Raceway crash

[Mr. Ford95]

Oh man, the week just gets worse for JB. Sounds like it's not as worse as the article states from some folks who were at the track. Isn't Berlin a track JB is a part owner of? I know he's partnered with Schrader and Kenny Wallace on several small dirt tracks but I thought I heard him say once that he was also in on Berlin.

Hope he gets better soon, one nicest drivers you'll ever see on the track.

[mike3fan]

Yes JB is part owner of Berlin, I have been many times and that track is the finest pavement short track in Michigan.

Here is a story with a video of the wreck.

Fiery wreck at Berlin, Benson serious

[Mr. Ford95]

Heard he has broken ribs and burns so maybe those "witnesses" weren't really there like they claimed. Mike, does Berlin have the Safer walls? The video is tough to tell but it looks like they don't. Some of the witnesses claimed he was out and about after the crash walking around checking the car out........don't know how that could be for having broken ribs, burns and some other injuries. Wonder if his seat choice may have allowed for broken ribs?

[mike3fan]

No safer walls, and there is a very dangerous butt ended wall that starts in turn three, which ironically Benson hit in a race a couple of years ago doing head over tail flip in a late model.

I cant find the video of that wreck, but here is a video of a race from there that shows the wall I'm talikng about.

YouTube - Car Crash

[Scottt]

Do any weekly tracks have safer walls??

I go to 15-20 different dirt tracks a year and have never seen any.

There was talk a fews years ago after a fatality at Knoxville that they would install them but they never did. Knoxville Sprint Car Capitol is in my backyard.

[mike3fan]

Do any weekly tracks have safer walls??

I go to 15-20 different dirt tracks a year and have never seen any.

There was talk a fews years ago after a fatality at Knoxville that they would install them but they never did. Knoxville Sprint Car Capitol is in my backyard.

I would think it would be too expensive to put in at the local level, also think that the radius of the turns would be too sharp to be able to put in.

[Mr. Ford95]

I can tell you where I've grown up around racing, ODS-Old Dominion Speedway, they still have guardrails in place. Every now and then a car gets past them whether going over the top or thru them. The track has slowed the Late Models down a tad, early 2000's they were running under 15.5 on the 3/8 mile track. Now their in the 16's.