Benson

Helmet? Check. Firesuit? Check. Driving gloves? Check.

Wait! As he prepares for Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, Johnny Benson may want to add one more accessory to his safety equipment: a flak jacket to protect his fragile ribs.

For the second time this season, Benson returns to the Winston Cup circuit after missing several races due to broken or cracked ribs suffered in a pair of crashes. The first time he was sidelined, after suffering one broken rib and two cracked ribs during a crash in a Busch race at Richmond, Va., Benson missed the following three Winston Cup events.

He came back for four races, including earning a sixth-place showing at his home track in Michigan -- his top finish of the season thus far -- only to break two more ribs in another wreck during the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Fla., on July 6, sidelining him for races at Chicago and Loudon, N.H.

All told, Benson has been involved in four race-ending or injury-sustaining wrecks in just 14 starts, and has been sidelined for five other events. It's a tough luck string he hopes has finally run its course as he returns this weekend.

"Racing is the best therapy and the most fun for curing broken ribs," Benson said.

Unlucky breaks
Yet, it's hard to forget all the misfortune that has befallen Benson's team in the first half of 2002.

"It seems like whenever somebody else wrecks we get caught up in it," Benson said. "I don't think we tore up hardly any cars last season, and now this season we have had quite a few. When we haven't crashed we have run pretty well."

Ironically, this will be the second time the Grand Rapids, Mich., native has returned to competition from his injuries at Pocono. His first race back after the Busch crash was last month's Pocono 500. He repeats that feat this weekend, and hopes for a similar effort to the one he had at the Long Pond, Pa., track in the same race a year ago, when he finished fifth.

"I'm ready to get back in the race car," Benson said. "You are always going to have people questioning whether it is too early or not. But health-wise, I'm ahead of where I was the last time when I got back in the car. I don't think my health will be an issue this weekend. We aren't even going to have a backup driver."

	Johnny Benson has been involved in four race-ending wrecks in just 14 starts.

Another irony is that, while he broke more ribs in the Daytona wreck, the resulting pain was not as severe as the injuries he sustained at Richmond.

"I'm feeling good," Benson said. "I have a few more broken ribs than the first time but it's different. I have a lot more mobility and have felt better every day since Daytona. These ribs are definitely different than the ones I hurt at Richmond. The Richmond accident broke one in the back and cracked two in the front. These from Daytona are all in the front. It's in a little different spot, but the feel isn't as bad as far as the first time.

"We aren't sure why I broke ribs. The only thing we do know is that both of those wrecks in which I have broken ribs were extreme hits, even though it may not look like it on television. They were bad hits. Both were a deal where the car went into the wall with the right front then slapped the side of the car."

But while his ribs continue to heal for the second time this season, mending the frustration of what type of year he's already had -- missing nearly a quarter of the races due to injury -- will take much longer.

"We have had a frustrating year for sure," Benson said. "This has been difficult because we haven't done a whole lot wrong. We have had wrecks that shouldn't have happened. We got hit at both places and I got hurt. It's hard to say this is part of the sport because this is the first time in my career I have had to miss a race because of injury. But what are you going to do."

Benson has two top-five and three top-15 finishes in 13 career starts at Pocono's uniquely shaped 2½-mile tri-oval. Even though he finished a respectable 20th, given the circumstances, Benson admittedly struggled late in last month's 500-mile race due to fatigue and pain from his ribs that continued to increase with each lap.

"I don't know if I can put a number on what percentage I'm at health-wise, but I'm guessing about 95 percent," Benson said. "I certainly hope that goes up to 100 percent when I climb in the car on Sunday. When they fire the engine and we head off on the pace lap you pretty much forget everything in the world except driving that race car. I've said before that getting in a race car is the best way to heal the driver.

"Pocono, believe it or not, is a pretty tough track to come back on. Those first two turns can wear you out, but I know I'm in good enough shape to where that shouldn't be a problem this time. I mean last time I was starting to get tired there at the end but I'm better this time than I was last time."

Cloudy future
After Benson's first layoff, rumors began swirling that his contract, which expires at the end of this season, may not be renewed. Conversely, after his second layoff, it seems evident that Benson won't be going anywhere soon.

"We haven't signed contracts yet, but we are talking and things are looking pretty good," Benson said.

Benson feels confident he'll have little or no problems at Pocono -- providing he doesn't wreck any more cars or ribs. But the truth of how this season has gone is evident in where Benson ranks in the standings: 37th.

"Sure the wrecks have ruined our season points-wise," Benson said. "But you know, if we go out and win Pocono or even Indy then we have turned our season around. My point is that we still have time to have a great season. I know that is my goal and our team's goal. We know we are a good team. We'll be heard from before the year is over."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.