Benson out, McMurray in at Phoenix Racing

Ten races into the NASCAR Busch Series season, former champion Johnny Benson and James Finch's Phoenix Racing have separated.

A one-line statement Monday afternoon on Benson's web site said "effective immediately" Benson was no longer the driver of the No. 1 Yellow/Miccosukee Dodge.

Tuesday morning, Phoenix named Jamie McMurray as driver of the No. 1 Dodge for Friday night's Funai 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

	Jamie McMurray

McMurray, whose full-time job is driving the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series for Chip Ganassi, won two races last season for Finch, when the two owners had a partnership.

Benson was hired just before this season began to drive a full season in Finch's Busch cars, plus seven-10 races in Nextel Cup in No. 09 Miccosukee Dodges.

The Busch season has been a disappointment. After finishing 29th at Gateway International Raceway last weekend when his car's engine failed, Benson fell to 17th in the standings with one top-five and four top-10 finishes in 10 starts.

With a lack of entries throughout the season, Finch's No. 09 has actually entered all 10 Cup races, with Benson making his scheduled starts and another veteran, Joe Ruttman, qualifying the car at the other events, starting it and shortly parking it.

The Cup program hasn't worked out to plan, either. In Benson's four starts, his best finish is 27th in the Daytona 500.

In six other starts, Ruttman completed 37 laps and made $342,543, an average of $9,257 per lap.

Bobby Hamilton Jr., who has been a fixture in the Busch Series top-10 for the last three seasons, was named Monday to drive Finch's Cup car this weekend at Richmond in Saturday night's Chevy American Revolution 400.

Hamilton, who finished fourth at Gateway, is eighth in Busch points with three top-five and five top-10 finishes.