ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602060011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
The champion has departed for new and greater challenges, but there are plenty of talented drivers ready to take Johnny Benson's place in the $8 million Busch Grand National series in 1996.
More than 50 teams are prepared to run some or all of the 26 scheduled races, and several drivers who have been paying their Grand National dues the past couple of years appear ready to join the championship battle.
``For the championship, I think you're probably going to have to look at Mike McLaughlin, or Jason Keller,'' said Fred Turner, a Grand National car owner. ``Keller has come on strong. And Randy LaJoie in Benson's old car is a possibility, as well as Dennis Setzer and Chad Little.''
Other title contenders include brothers Jeff Green, driving for Dale Earnhardt, and David Green, who takes over Buz McCall's Chevy. Hermie Sadler also is expected to have a strong team.
As the teams head to Daytona, McLaughlin is the quickest, posting a lap of 186.955 mph on Jan.14, the third day of the three-day test for the Grand National cars at the track. Ward Burton will drive for Turner in 10 races in the new Pontiac Grand Prix, and ``just as in Winston Cup, we don't know what the Pontiac body is really like'' under race conditions, Turner said.
The schedule is essentially the same as in 1995, but major changes are on the horizon.
``It has been a longstanding thing that the series never went west of the Mississippi,'' said Stan Creekmore, who covers the Grand National series for National Speed Sport News. ``But next year, it looks as if they will open some new markets in Texas and Las Vegas and Topeka [Kan.].''
Winston Cup driver Bobby Labonte is returning to the Busch series in 1996 for a limited schedule, joining the usual Cup regulars, such as brother Terry, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip (with a new team) and Ken Schrader.
There was concern last year that the Grand National series might be left in the dust by the new SuperTruck series, but that wasn't borne out in attendance figures.
Although NASCAR tracks have no turnstiles and attendance figures always are estimates - and sometimes inflated estimates, at that - Goodyear reports in its annual attendance survey that Grand National crowds last year increased 23 percent over 1994.
A portion of that increase could be attributed to the new race in Homestead, Fla., which featured a sellout crowd of about 60,000.
The SuperTruck series, meanwhile, ``exceeded everybody's wildest expectations,'' said NASCAR's Owen Kearns.
An estimated 551,000 fans went to 20 truck races during the series' inaugural season, and the SuperTrucks will be back for 24 races in 1996.
The total purses jump from $1.2 million to more than $4 million.
Champion Mike Skinner will be back, as will challengers Joe Ruttman (with a new team) and Ron Hornaday Jr. Others with a legitimate shot at the title include Rick Carelli, Mike Bliss (with longtime Winston Cup crew chief Barry Dodson) and Butch Miller.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB