Danny Benedict Breaks New Ground in Sunset Speedway’s Late Model Field

@dannybenedicy54 •@Sunset_Speedway • Orono, ON (April 28, 2016)- His performance at the controls of a Mini Stock racecar saw him dubbed as ‘The Showstopper’ after he claimed the final regular season feature events at Kawartha Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s half-mile oval. When the green flag flies to start the 2016 season, Danny Benedict will face a new challenge, as the Orono, Ontario resident joins the Late Model division at Sunset Speedway.

Fresh from finishing his second year of studies in the Powerline Technician Program at Ottawa’s Algonquin College, the 19 year-old Benedict says he’s looking forward to wheeling his new ride at the track where he finished 6th in last year’s final point standings and was 52nd out of 100 North American drivers in Division 3 of NASCAR’s Whelan Racing Series.

“The car arrived in our shop late in the 2015 season and its been almost completely rebuilt since then,” said the talented youngster. “Dad and I made a lot of changes of our own and we’ve had input from some good friends, including Dan McHattie. We’ll be running in a very competitive field and faced with a steep learning curve, but I think as long as we’re able to gain some knowledge a little at a time, it’ll be a great season.”

During a mid April open test session at Sunset Speedway with McHattie and Scott Shaw on-hand to lend assistance, Benedict was able to put his new piece through its paces in race trim for one of the first times. Experimenting with some different lines and a variety of set-ups, the team was able to get a good idea of what they can expect during the year.

“Even though I was out there for just a few laps at a time, it was great to get back behind the wheel,” said Benedict. “A good set of notes is always important; especially when you’re in a new car or moving to a different division and this year, we’re doing both. We’ve started with an empty book, but the pages are filling up very quickly. There is still some work to do, but whatever time we spend in the shop allows us to get more out of the car on the track and that’s what this level of racing is all about.”

For 2016, Benedict Racing is pleased to welcome new sponsors Only Solutions and Dan McHattie Racecars to their existing group of marketing partners that includes Hoy’s Garage, Kim Irwin of Irwin Tax & Accounting, Baudo Auto Service, B & W Enterprises, Mark Rainford Auto Centre, Camsport Truck Caps & Accessories, Dent Dynamics and Mayhew Graphics. Team media and promotional services are provided by Clarke Motorsports Communications.