Martin dragway, Berlin Raceway go old-school

Martin dragway, Berlin Raceway go old-school with Chi-Town Hustler and Johnny Benson
By Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press

The Chi-Town Hustler will be at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin on Friday and Saturday for the Thunder Nationals.Call it throwback weekend.

The Chi-Town Hustler will be back at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin for the Thunder Nationals on Friday and Saturday, and Grand Rapids native Johnny Benson Jr. is returning to Berlin Raceway for Saturday night's 7 p.m. CRA Super Series 125-lapper.

Timeout a second.

Is this 2010 or 1988?

Visit Youtube.com, and you can find a video of the Hustler tearing down Martin's quarter-mile in a match race against the Flashback Corvette Jet from 22 years ago, back when Wayne Minick was racing it.

You probably recall that Benson quickly was developing into an area short-track standout in 1988, which eventually led to NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck championships and an eight-year Cup career.

How well do you really know your short track and drag racing, though? Do you think you know everything there is to know about Benson and the Hustler?

Let me hit you up with a pop quiz before the first big weekend of the season gets under way in West Michigan.

It's only two questions.

No. 1 -- True or false: It was Benson's father who encouraged his son to go dirt track racing in the early 1980s when Benson announced he would race for the first time -- the elder Benson figured it would be the best possible education for a young driver looking to build a racing career?

Actually, that answer is false, even though local legend has it that that's why Benson went dirt track racing. Guys like me probably helped push that myth along, too.

Sorry about that, because Benson said it was his idea to go dirt racing and he really didn't have any intentions of building a racing career at the time.

"We were building a lot of dirt cars," said Benson, who was working out of his dad's shop, Benson Speed Equipment. "We didn't race any through the company. At the time, I rode dirt bikes and enjoyed running on the dirt, and we had customers to help. I really wanted to learn a little more about the cars to tell the truth.

"At the time, I was working with my dad and I understood the asphalt cars and knew what the customers wanted. Sometimes, the dirt guys would call and I didn't understand what they needed, other than me making calls. I ran three years on it. I had a great time."

No. 2 -- True or false: Indiana drag racer Troy Martin is racing the original 1977 Rislone Chi-Town Hustler Dodge?

If you said true, then I got you again. Don't feel bad, though, because Martin went through great lengths to make sure it looks like the original.

"I bought the original Hustler off of Bob Gibson who works with the NHRA safety safari team in 2002 or 2003, and I did some restoration on it," Martin said. "We raced the original car up until 2008. Then, with all the safety requirements and the speeds going, we parked the original.

"We built a new one just like the old one. We built a brand new body using a mold off the old one. I bought all the models and found pictures of the car to get as much detail in the car as we could. It's drives a lot better and it's lot safer."

OK, enough about the past. Benson will compete in his first race at Berlin since his fiery crash in an International Supermodified Association feature last June 13 that left him in serious condition with multiple injuries.

He has healed up fine and was back in a Late Model testing during Berlin's April 10 test-and-tune, and he said returning to the track for the first time was no big deal.

Benson will race friend Kyle Busch's CRA car Saturday. Busch will return to Berlin on June 15, and Benson is breaking in the car for him.

Martin's Thunder Nationals event has gotten so big that it is going to two nights this spring. The Mountain Motor Pro Stocks are the featured class.

The program also will include alcohol dragsters, Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars and the Queen of Diamonds Jet Dragster. Qualifying is 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, and eliminations begin 4 p.m. Saturday.

It will seem like old times.