Benson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Johnny Benson expects to miss at least three more races while he recovers from injuries May 3 in a Busch series wreck at Richmond International Raceway.

That means plenty of seat time for Jerry Nadeau, who left Hendrick Motorsports last week and was quickly snapped up by MBV Motorsports to fill in for Benson.

He drove the car in The Winston Open, finishing 10th, and was sixth in the second qualifying race, so he failed to advance to the main event.

But he was still pleased to be in a car.

"The timing was pretty good and I already knew the guys," said Nadeau, who filled in at MBV a few years ago for then-driver Ernie Irvan when he was injured. "It's a good team and we've got a chance to do some things. But there's really nothing I have to prove, I don't think."

Nadeau is going to take his time finding a full-time job, he said, because communication and chemistry is so important in terms of success. He didn't feel like there was enough chemistry at Hendrick when he left.

"If you aren't happy, you should leave, contract or no contract," Nadeau said. "And there's no need to jump into something just to be in a seat. So I'm going to wait for the right thing to come along to make sure it's something I'll be in for a long time."

Benson, meanwhile, expects to be out at least through the race at Dover Downs in two weeks because of one broken rib and two cracked ribs.

"The type of break that I have, the doctors say can take seven or eight weeks to heal, but being a race car driver, I hope to be back before then," Benson said. "I'll sit out Charlotte and with Dover being Dover, they don't want me to hit anything."

Pontiac update
General Motors has tested the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix and submitted the completed model to NASCAR for approval.

Bobby Labonte, who drives Pontiacs for Joe Gibbs Racing, tested the car last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Former Winston Cup director Gary Nelson said NASCAR is doing some "minor testing" on the model before it can approve the car.

"We have to make templates and compare them" to the other manufacturer entries, Nelson said.

Jimmy Makar, Labonte's crew chief, said the test was a success with just a few small snags. Now, the team is working with NASCAR to get the car approved.

"We're still working through the templates with (NASCAR)," he said. "We've already gone up there one time and worked over some things with them. They were all pretty minor issues."