As expected, A.J. Foyt announced that he will put his #14 on a Winston Cup Pontiac next year. However, the driver of his Conseco-sponsored car will not be Johnny Benson, as many within the NASCAR hierarchy had assumed. Foyt insisted he had made no decision yet, but a member of his team said that Benson, or any other Winston Cup regular, for that matter, had been eliminated in a meeting Saturday morning. Foyt has repeatedly declared that he would rather risk tearing up a few cars than have a driver committed to anything other than winning, and as a result he has apparently decided against hiring a driver with Cup experience. Billy Boat, a former sprint-car standout who now drives one of Foyt’s two IRL cars, may be a candidate, in addition to Scott Sharp, who has been widely mentioned in connection with the ride( SpeedNet/Monte Dutton ) AND Owner A.J. Foyt informed Johnny Benson that he no longer is under consideration for a driving job next season. Foyt appears to be concentrating on bringing in a driver from the open-wheel ranks( Times-Dispatch )
