Winchester, IN (June 6, 2006) – Winchester Speedway officials are pleased to announce that former Indiana basketball star Kent Benson will be attending Sunday’s Kenny Irwin Memorial Presented By Pier-Mac Plastics USAC National Sprint Car Series event. The racing event will honor the former USAC Champion and NASCAR driver who tragically lost his life, in the prime of his career, while practicing for the NASCAR Nextel Cup event in New Hampshire in July of 2000.

Benson, a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall Of Fame in New Castle, Indiana played for New Castle High School and was a Sophomore center when New Castle reached the Indiana state final four in 1971. Benson then went to Indiana University were he started as a freshman and received the Outstanding Player Award when Big Ten Co-champion IU won the Conference Commissioners Association tournament in St. Louis. The next two years the Hoosiers were the best team in the country, climaxing a 63-1 run by winning the 1976 NCAA Championship. Benson scored 25 points in the final game victory over Michigan and was named the Final Four’s Outstanding Player. Benson was a consensus All American pick that year and the next, when he won the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player Award. Milwaukee made Benson the number one pick in the 1977 NBA draft, Benson went on to play NBA Basketball for 11 seasons.

Benson will be visiting with fans and signing autographs on Sunday while promoting his upcoming motivational talk at the Winchester High School on Wednesday, June 14^th at 7pm. There will be a Randolph County Business Expo from 5pm through 7pm on June 14^th with booths of many local businesses. The event is presented by the Randolph County Chamber and sponsored by R.G. Applegate Steel.

Bryan Clauson, winner of the season opening Rich Vogler Classic heads a talented list of USAC open wheel drivers that will be battling on the High Banks to win the Kenny Irwin Memorial. Darren Hagen, who ran second to Clauson in April, is entered along with Dave Darland, winner of last seasons Rich Vogler Classic plus open wheel stars Dave Steele, Eric Gordon, Jay Drake and Bud Kaeding. Cameron Dodson, winner of last years exciting King Of The Wings Winged Sprint Car Race at Winchester Speedway is entered along with New Castle native Tracy Hines and Muncie native Aaron Pierce. Points leader Josh Wise is entered as is Levi Jones, second in points, only 22 behind Wise, both drive for 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Tony Stewart.

Sunday’s event will also feature racing action from the CRA Street Stocks as well as the CRA Sportsman. Pit gates open at 8am. Spectator gates will open at 10am, practice begins at 10:30am, with qualifying at 12:30pm. The day’s race program will begin at 2pm and will include the Kenny Irwin Memorial Presented By Pier-Mac Plastics.

For more information on Sunday’s event or to order advanced tickets go to www.winchesterspeedway.com.