Benson released from Hospital UPDATE Mike Wallace at Chicago; Nadeau after that?: #10 Valvoline Pontiac driver Johnny Benson left Halifax Medical Center in Daytona, Fla. Sunday night and is expected to return to his home in North Carolina on Monday. Doctors treated Benson for displacements in ribs 6,7 and 8 on the right side of his chest suffered in an accident Saturday night in the 400-mile Nascar Winston Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. Benson did not aggravate the broken rib or two cracked ribs he suffered in a Busch Series accident at Richmond on May 3. Benson’s timetable for returning to racing will be determined this week by his physician and the Valvoline Racing team. Benson missed the Richmond, Charlotte and Dover races earlier this season because of the injuries from the Richmond accident. On Saturday night, Michael Waltrip made contact with Benson on lap 8 of the 160-lap race forcing Benson into the wall. Benson was taken by ambulance to the infield care center then transported to Halifax Medical Center. Waltrip visited Benson at the hospital a few hours after winning the race.(PR)(7-8-2002) UPDATE: hearing Mike Wallace will be in the #10 Valvoine Pontiac at ChicagoLand speedway.(Mike Wallace Fan Club)(7-8-2002) UPDATE 2: in Speed Channel’s Inside Winston Cup, Johnny Benson said during a telecon that Wallace would be in the #10 at Chicago and Jerry Nadeau probably would run the car after Chicago until Benson can return. Nadeau is driving the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine at Chicago.(7-9-2002) UPDATE 3: Mike Wallace will drive the #10 Valvoline Pontiac in the Cup race this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway replacing the injured Johnny Benson. “We wanted someone with experience that we knew the team and I could communicate with,” said Crew Chief James Ince. “Mike is just that driver. Our team is devastated about what happened to Johnny Saturday night but we have a job to do and we have every intention of going on and doing the best we can.” Benson is recovering from displacements in ribs 6, 7 and 8 on the right side of his chest suffered in an accident Saturday night at Daytona. Benson’s timetable for returning to racing has yet to be determined by his physician and the Valvoline Racing team. Benson missed the Richmond, Charlotte and Dover races earlier this season because of rib injuries from the Richmond BGN race accident. Saturday’s accident did not reinjure the ribs Benson hurt at Richmond. The Valvoline Pontiac will carry a special paint scheme this weekend. Fozzy Bear’s picture will be prominently featured on the car in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Muppets.(MBV PR)(7-9-2002)
