Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

TripCrwn noted... "Chris Holt interviewed Bentley Warren at the PAS. An interesting personality with quite a record in the super modifieds back East that also included a few runs at Indy. I had the opportunity to shake the man's hand afterwards. He looks like a race car driver!"

Bentley tries to get out here every year for what used to be Copper Classic and whatever runs close to it. He drove regularly in CC supermodified and Silver Crown divisions when the show was at PIR.

What Chris wasn't able to dig out of him on the mike was that Ben is the probably the greatest big block supermod driver of all time, with 65 supermodified victories and six wins at the 200-lap Budweiser Classic (for non-wing supers) at the Oswego Speedway in New York state.

What's more remarkable, however is the span of time involved. Ben's run that show 32 times since 1965, winning it in '69, '84, '86, '89, '90 and '98, and otherwise appearing on the podium in '68, '76, '81, '83 and '85. (And he did not run it from '70-'75; see below.)

He's also won the ISMA (wing car) SuperNationals twice; the second time at the age of SIXTY-FIVE in 2006! He's also a seven-time Oswego Speedway track champion ('83, '84, '86, '87, '89, '90 and '93).

Other notable wins include the Little 500 twice, the Copper World Classic, the Star Classic, The Thompson World Series, and an East-West showdown between the best of the supermodified drivers.

Ben was the highest qualifying rookie in the 1971 Indianapoils 500. He ran Indy cars from 1970-75, amassing 37 career starts and 14 top ten finishes.

Ben began his career running against people like Johnny Benson and Gordon Johncock... ran in the Big Show against A.J., Big Al and... Gordon Johncock... and he hasn't hung 'em up yet. He continues to race midgets, as well as the big iron.

Here's a pic of him in the early '60s (he won his first race in 1957):

An early '00s photo of Ben in a Crown car: http://www.stevehardin.com/picpg113d/Img_1103.jpg

A 2006 photo of him running the 2006 Super Nationals (in the black car): http://ismasu.fatcow.com/Results_&_Photos_2006/OSWEGO_CLASSIC/800-ISMA-Oswego_9480.jpg

And a shot of him after he won the 2006 race:

Thanks raj, I of course remember when he ran Indy but, I never had the opportunity to see him race in person. His appearance at the PAS led me to do a little research on the man. Somewhere back East, as I recall, he raced in a super modified event and finished third. If my memory is correct (it was only last week that I research him on the Internet, but you know how it is when you become a senior) it was a ISMA sanctioned race; he also finished in the top ten in points for the season. He made an impression on me for sure. Like I noted before he looks like a race car driver should look. And he is 65 + years old. Thanks again for the info and photos.

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS