Pontiac Racing Rockingham chassis notes

[The following are facts and figures regarding the cars Pontiac teams will be running this week during the NASCAR Winston Cup event at North Carolina Speedway.]

10 Valvoline Grand Prix driver Johnny Benson comes to "The Rock" this weekend with a brand new chassis looking to better last fall's 11th place finish here. Benson suffered engine trouble last week at Daytona and wound up 28th.

14 Rookie Ron Hornaday is behind the wheel of the same Conseco Pontiac that finished qualified 11th and finished 13th here last October. Hornaday won Raybestos Rookie honors last Sunday at Daytona with a 17th place result.

18 Defending race winner Bobby Labonte returns to Rockingham this week with the same chassis that carried him to a 20th place finish in the fall event here in October, after he endured a flat tire. Labonte, who is looking to defend his Winston Cup championship, got off to a rocky start last week with a DNF and a 40th place finish.

20 Tony Stewart drove the Home Depot Grand Prix to a fourth and a seventh in two races at North Carolina Speedway last year, and is returning with the chassis he ran in the fall race. Stewart, like his teammate, is hoping to bounce back from misfortune last week at Daytona where he finished 36th following a wild tumble down the backstretch.

27 Eel River Racing and driver Kenny Wallace are rolling out another new chassis this week at Rockingham. The team is well prepared for the first phase of the 2001 season with plenty of new equipment. According to crew chief Barry Dodson, "All the mules are in the stable." Wallace was also involved in "The Big Wreck" last week with Stewart and Labonte and ended the day in the 25th position.

36 M&M's Grand Prix driver Ken Schrader posted the highest finish by a Pontiac last week at Daytona in the form of a 13th. Schrader will pilot a brand new chassis this week at Rockingham, which is a sister-car to the one that Johnny Benson will drive.

-GM Racing-