Benson signs with Red Horse team

Benson after winning truck title in Homestead

2008 truck champion Johnny Benson, who had previously announced he would leave Bill Davis Racing at the end of the 2008 season, will drive the No. 1 truck as a teammate with David Starr for Red Horse Racing, team co-owner Tom DeLoach confirmed Monday.

Trip Bruce, Benson’s crew chief, also has joined the team.

“It’s fantastic," DeLoach said in responding to reports that Benson might not return fulltime to the series next season. “I’m looking forward to it. I think Johnny and David will work together really well and I expect good things out of both of them. We have one team and we’ve got two drivers. … Johnny is such a fantastic guy to work with – very analytical, very thoughtful.

“I’m just looking forward to working with him. It will be sweet for Red Horse. I’ve wanted to run two trucks for a couple of years and couldn’t get pieces put together and finally got it done."

As far as sponsorship, DeLoach said that sponsors are still being courted. Benson has won titles in the Nationwide and Truck and has 274 career Cup starts.

“Johnny will be especially strong, and we’d like to do what no one has ever done before," DeLoach said. “Johnny would see it as a tremendous accomplishment to repeat with different owners. That would be quite a statement."