Story by Chris Roy
The Pro All Stars Series tour kicks off their 2013 season at Oxford Plains Speedway on April 21st. Defending champion Travis Benjamin, is looking forward to the green flag. “Being a PASS champion is a great accomplishment!! There has only been 3 other drivers that can say that. I’ve worked my whole life to win the championship in some kind of sport and now I can say that I’m a champion!!”
Though the off season hasn’t been all fun and games… actually it has been as Travis has hit the hoops in his spare time. “This off season I’ve just been working a lot at Belfast Variety and during the off season I play a lot of basketball. There’s been two leagues in Belfast, one league in Ellsworth and another in Waterville. So that keeps me in shape.”
The 2013 race schedule has the Benjamin Motorsports Team traveling all over New England and Canada this race season. “The 2013 PASS schedule is going to be very interesting I think. I think we will get a lot of teams following the tour since it has a lot less traveling. The schedule honestly doesn’t favor my driving style. Oxford and Beech Ridge are kind of the tracks we have a tendency to struggle at but we are usually really good at White Mountain, Canaan, 660 and Chaudiere so I’m excited to get the season underway.”
Other than racing the PASS schedule, occasionally gets in a few other races during the season. “I’m not sure what my schedule is going to look like. As long as we are running good and not having a lot of bad luck we will be running the full PASS North schedule and maybe the Auto Value 250 if I can find a car to drive. With the PASS racing White Mountains the day before the Auto Value 250 it’s almost impossible to run my car.”
Every driver has their favorite track, one where they know every bump and curve and where their car just seem to sync. “I really like Speedway 660, I’ve always had really good cars up there and we are do to win a race at that track. I’m also very excited to go to Chaudiere three times for a few big money races. We won there last year and that track has really fits my driving style!!”
With the first race of the season only 2 weeks away the Benjamin Motorsports team is still working on the race car, to get it just right for OPS. “We just got our engine and that will be in this weekend and after that we just need to do setup so we are looking pretty good as far as being ready to roll on the 21st.”
A major part of racing is the sponsor. The sponsors support the race teams, the race tracks, and the races. “I wouldn’t be racing if it wasn’t for my sponsors. I don’t have any money to spend on my car. I’ve been very lucky throughout my career to have a lot of great people behind me.”
Another big part of racing is safety especially at the speeds the super late models race at. “No one wants to get hurt in racing and no one wants to see anyone get hurt in racing!! We do know every time we step in that car that it can happen!! If all the tracks had an unlimited budget I would have all the tracks have the safer walls around each track but most likely that will never happen!”
Returning this season as a super late model race at Oxford Plains Speedway is the TD Bank 250. “It’s very exciting to have the 250 back to super late models. The fans are going to see the best race the 250 has had in a long time this July!! I was in Hickory this past weekend and that’s what everyone was talking about. There’s going to be teams from all around the country!! It’s going to be exciting!!”
Though Travis isn’t the only racer in the family his son Kaiden, is now a professional kart racer. “Kaiden is starting to really enjoy racing!! I got him in a go kart for 3 races last year and he really enjoyed it. Over the winter I bought him a second go kart for xmas and while we were opening presents Kaiden took off and I couldn’t find him. He was out in the garage sitting in his kart while he still had presents inside that had yet to be open!! So as long as he still enjoys racing we will be doing as much karting this summer as possible!!”
Travis has a few word for all the fans, “I would just like to thank the fans for being behind me!! My career sure has been a roller coaster ride!! My team has worked hard and they deserve all the success!!”