hearing that Valvoline is buying into the MB2 #36 M&M’s team, who is then buying into or buying Tyler Jet Motorsports #10 team. Supposedly Valvoline will be an equity partner in both teams, with Johnny Benson driving the Valvoline sponsored car. Hearing the deal will be done by July 1st and annouced later in the summer. Also hearing #36 driver, Ken Schrader will remain as the driver of the M&M’s #36 Pontiac and Benson will stay on with the #10 with Valvoline as the sponsor(6-26-2000) UPDATE: As early as today, MB2 Motorsports will purchase Tyler Jet Motorsports, which owns the race team of Winston Cup driver Johnny Benson. MB2 Motorports, owned by Georgia residents Read Morton, Nelson Bowers and Tom Beard, already owns the #36 M&M’s Pontiac driven by Ken Schrader. The team owners have expressed interest repeatedly in recent months about expanding to a multi-car operation. The trio, traveling from Sears Point Raceway to Atlanta on Monday, was unavailable for comment. The proposed deal includes a contract extension of two to three years with Benson. MB2 Motorsports also reportedly was involved in discussions with Valvoline about becoming the future primary sponsor for Benson’s car. Valvoline is ending its longtime sponsorship with Mark Martin, who has signed a deal with Pfizer/Viagra worth a reported $60 million for five years. It was not known late Monday whether Benson would run under the ownership of MB2 or Tyler Jet in Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 at Daytona(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(6-28-2000) UPDATE 2: hearing that this deal will not be completed this weekend and is still at least a few weeks off IF it happens(6-29-2000)
