Team N/A (formerly MB2) Car/Make N/A (formerly No. 10 Pontiac) Sponsor N/A Crew Chief N/A
STATS	2003	CAREER
Rank	24	11*
Wins	0	1
Top 5	2	18
Top 10	4	58
DNFs	7	43
Top Finish	4 (Homestead)	1 (Rockingham)
*Indicates best career points finish

2003 recap
The good: Though there was not too much good that came from a season in which the 10 car's crew chief quit and its driver was fired, there were indications of what this team -- with a high-profile sponsor and a reliable teammate -- is capable of. Benson piloted the 10 car to a fifth-place finish at Dover in June and a fourth-place finish to cap the season in November.

The bad: After a promising 2001 campaign, a season when Benson finally began to fulfill his rookie of the year potential from 1996 with 14 top-10s and six top fives, Benson had that progress slowed in 2002 by injury. So the 10 team entered 2003 determined to pick up where it left off in 2001. Benson had just signed a multi-year contract with MB2 Motorsports and he and James Ince were as close as any driver-crew chief tandem in the sport.

But after a typically fast start for Benson, ranked sixth through four races, the team suffered three DNFs in five races and had fallen to 29th in the points standings through 10 events. When the Kansas race came around in September, the 10 team was 26th in the points standings and Ince was deflated. He left the team after that race, in which Benson finished 35th, and soon it was announced that Busch Series driver Scott Riggs would replace Benson in 2004. Doesn't get much worse than that.

Key stat: 4. For one thing, the number reflects Benson's highest finish of the season -- which came in his farewell to the 10 car and served as fair notice to the rest of the Cup Series that he still has potential to be a top 10 driver in the sport. For another, the number reflects one possibility for Benson in 2004. Larry McClure would have made things easier on the host of drivers that have come through his single-car operation if he'd have just installed a revolving door into the cockpit of the No. 4 car. The 2004 sponsor and the driver for the 4 car are question marks at this point. Kevin LePage has been reported as the front-runner for the ride, but Benson has received consideration, as well.

2004 outlook
What needs to be done: The first thing that needs to be done is for Benson to find a ride. The Michigan native has never established himself as a top driver in the circuit, but he's certainly one of the most enticing picks among the unemployed, along with John Andretti who is already reportedly linked to the No. 1 DEI ride -- though even that isn't a full-time gig.

Guarantee: Johnny Benson will drive in 2004. There's no telling whether Benson will secure a full-time ride, yet, or not. But Benson is too good not to at least be picked up as a plug-in at some point.

Prediction: Benson won't make much of an impact in 2004, but if he gets a shot with a decent ride, he might be able to steer his way into a full-time gig.

Did you know: Benson wore glasses to drive until having vision-correction surgery in 1999.

Your take
Can Johnny Benson secure a ride in 2004? If given the chance, will Benson once again challenge for overall top-10 finishes? Here are your thoughts on Benson's prospects for 2004.