JACKSONVILLE, NC – Gerald Benton has been a fixture in the Eastern Carolina racing scene for years, and now he’s looking to get to victory lane at New River All-American Speedway.
Benton, 58, from Trenton, North Carolina, has not been to victory lane since November 2016 when he won a Southeast Limited Late Model Series race at the now-defunct Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina. Over the past few years, Benton’s black and yellow no. 21 car has been a familiar sight at New River All-American Speedway as the veteran racer logs laps and continues to improve while having fun on track.
“I come to run up front,” Benton said. “I’d like to be a top-three car. I would love to win, but I think this year, we’re starting to get better and better and get the bugs worked out so maybe we’ll be up front before long. Every time I go to the track, I want to win. I want to have fun, but I want to win at the same time.
“Me and Wendell [Davis] have just been struggling with this car. I think we’ve got it close to being figured out.”
Benton began racing full-size cars in the late-2000s after racing in Karts. He began his stock car career at Southern National Motorsports Park and then competed some at New River when the track operated under the Coastal Plains banner. In the early-2010s, Benton was a frequent contender for wins in the Charger division at Southern National. In 2014, he was a contender for the championship, finishing second and winning five races on the season.
Since then, he has moved up to a Late Model with Wendell Davis.
“Wendell and my brother got paired up and he helped Kevin a lot,” Benton explained. “Then, I started running a little bit and he and Kevin were talking and he said he wanted to try to help me. He’s been a big help, especially when my wife (Kimmie) passed away. He and my brother hung with me pretty tight and helped me get the car. We won the Thanksgiving Classic in the Charger, and then the next year, we won a few races and, the year after, we really had a good year, finishing second in the points. I enjoyed it.
“Wendell is a great guy. He’s one of the best crew chiefs in my opinion.”
The wins have been harder to come by in the Late Model division against some elite competition, but the Jones County driver has never let his winless drought defeat his determination.
“It gets discouraging but, that’s what I’ve always done, even with my dad,” Benton commented. “Some of the best memories with him. I’m wanting to get my son into it. His work schedule’s got him where he can’t run that much, but I want to bring him into it and have quality time like me and my dad. I don’t give up. I enjoy racing, always have, and I’m going to be there if all possible.”
Benton’s father, Bobby, was a longtime racer himself before passing away in 2020. He raced for years at Fayetteville Motor Speedway as well as at the defunct Wilson County and Dublin County dirt tracks.
“When I was a little boy, my dad raced dirt at Wilson County, Dublin, and Fayetteville,” Benton recalled. “Most of the time, at least once or twice, sometimes three times a weekend, he’d be racing and I always went with him and helped. So, I grew up around the racetrack. I’ve been racing since about 2007 or 2008. Raced Karts prior. I actually started at Southern National and then, when it used to be Coastal Plains, I ran some there too.”
Entering Saturday night’s Spring Thunder at New River, Benton sits eighth in points, just above the cutoff for the Race for the Championship playoffs which take place in September. The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Models will compete twice on Saturday night.
Chargers, Champ Karts, Bombers, and U-CARs are also on the schedule for Saturday night. Tickets are available online through My Race Pass or at the gate on race day for $10, while kids five (5) and under are admitted free. Gates open at 5pm and racing commences at 7pm.
New River All-American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about New River All-American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “New River Speedway” on Facebook, follow @newriverswy on Twitter, or follow the track on Instagram.
