Danny Benedict Pulls a Strong Showing Out of a Difficult Season
Story By: JIM CLARKE / DANNY BENEDICT RACING – ORONO, ONT – Through the different stages of his racing career, Danny Benedict has experienced a wide range of highs and lows. The young hard-charger from Orono, Ontario has advanced through the karting ranks, into a Mini Stock and is now running in his second season with the NASCAR Weekly Racing Late Model division at Sunset Speedway.
Prior to the 2017 schedule getting underway, Benedict announced that he’d debut a new Shaw Chassis at the popular layout, north of Toronto. To say that things haven’t gone exactly as planned would be an understatement, but the team has never stopped working.
“Racing at this level is a game of inches,” Danny Benedict said. “There will be good nights and bad nights and although it sounds like a typical sports cliché, the key is to never give up. I’ve met some great people over the years and they’ve all been happy to step up and help through the tough times. We’re racing in a highly competitive field and we owe it to our sponsors, friends and fans to always be ready to go.”
Benedict and the team brought that positive attitude to the Saturday, June 24th event at Sunset; a night where the Late Model division would run a trio of main events. The driver known as ‘The Showstopper’, for the prowess he displayed in a series of high profile events during his time at the controls of a Mini Stock earned his time in the spotlight with one of the strongest shows of his career. The #54 car brought home finishes of 6th, 7th (from a starting spot of 17th) and 8th on night. In each of the feature races, his position at the checkered flag was higher than where he’d started.
“One night doesn’t make a season, but I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since we loaded the car into the trailer,” the driver admitted. “Everyone pitched-in and it really felt good to have such a strong showing. Pretty sure a top 5 finish is just around the corner. I appreciate the support everyone has offered; both at the track and through our social media platforms. Hopefully, this will be a first step in the right direction.”
Danny Benedict says he’s looking forward to running the Chase for the Colours Pole Qualifier – Sunday, July 2nd – at Peterborough Speedway. It’ll be the first time he’s ever raced in the Late Model division at the venue known as Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval and his first laps at the track since finishing 3rd in the Mini Stock class at the 2015 edition of the Autumn Colours Classic.
