Red Horse Racing regretfully announces the closure of the #1 Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Benson. The decision is effective immediately. Red Horse Racing worked to secure sponsorship for the #1 team since last December but has been unsuccessful in doing so. Sponsorship for Benson was thought to be secure before the season began but the economic downturn kept that sponsor from being able to participate with Red Horse Racing. Red Horse Racing will continue to field the #11 Toyota Tundra, driven by TJ Bell, as that truck does have some support.(Red Horse Racing PR)(6-8-2009)
UPDATE: Benson is the defending NASCAR Camping World Trucks champion, but the plain white #1 Toyota truck he drove during the season’s first eight races has served as a reminder that finding sponsorship is difficult even for drivers with the most impressive of resumes. Still, Benson said Monday he was a little surprised when he learned his Red Horse Racing team was shutting down due to lack of sponsorship. “Part of me was (surprised),” said Benson, 45. “We have had discussions about this before, and we were told that (lack of a sponsor) was not going to be a problem. Apparently, it is. But we have had this before, and we are actively looking for something else. We will mosey on and try to figure out what is next. This is a little disheartening to see this happen because we wanted to help build a championship team,” said Benson, a 1981 Forest Hills Northern High School graduate. Benson and Greg Biffle are the only drivers in NASCAR history to earn championships in the Busch (now Nationwide) and Trucks divisions. Benson won a Busch title in 1995 before capturing the Truck championship with Bill Davis Racing a year ago. BDR closed its doors last fall after Benson won the title.(MLive.com)(6-8-2009)
