Benny Padmore

Benjamin Herbert Padmore (born 7 February 1963) is an American former racing driver. Padmore competed in the NASCAR Cup Series.
== Early Life ==
== Racing Career ==
Not much is known about Padmore's early career, however in 1985 he joined the newly-founded NASCAR Winston Modified Tour, having previously raced in local Modified events.
=== NASCAR Winston Modified Tour (1985-1987) ===
Padmore went full-time with the Modified Tour, subsequently proving himself against the best Modified drivers in America as a result. Most drivers focussed on their local track championships, but Padmore instead focussed on the championship. He won his first race in 1986 in the second race, at Martinsville, before picking up two more wins, both at Stafford, one of the faster ovals on the calendar. Teddy Schwager would dominate the races which he entered, winning the title before moving full time to the Cup series in 1987, having driven there part-time previously. Padmore would compete in select Busch Series races throughout 1986, particularly honing his skills at Charlotte and other bigger speedways.
Padmore hoped for a title challenge in 1987, but his plans were scuppered when he recieved a call from TWS Motorsports, the team Teddy Schwager was driving for in the Cup Series.
=== NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1987 - 2008) ===
Halfway through the 1987 Winston Cup Series season, Harold Hanson, driver of the Coke Cherry #78 TWS Motorsports Ford was sacked after a run of finishes outside of the top 25. Hanson was one of the highest-paid drivers in the sport at the time.
Padmore was a surprise signing from the team, and was the youngest driver on the grid, making his debut at age 24. Padmore would again surprise, finishing an excellent sixth in the Coca Cola 600, one of the toughest races on the calendar. Padmore would not win in his first year, but picked up a remarkable 7 top-10 finishes in a row.
In 1988, Schwager was unceremoniously released from TWS, with Padmore taking over the main, #7 car with which he would become synonymous. While he took his first two wins in that season, he did not recapture the consistency of his debut year.
== Racing Record ==
Year	Team 	Races	Wins	Top 10s	Points 	Championship Position
1987	TWS Motorsports	8 	0 	7 	2265 (Car 78)	5th (Car 78)
1988	TWS Motorsports	16 	2 	9 	2158 	3rd
1989	TWS Motorsports	16 	1 	8 	2012 	7th
1990	TWS Motorsports	16 	3 	10 	2390 	2nd
1991	TWS Motorsports	17 	1 	11 	2481 	2nd
1992	TWS Motorsports	 	 	 	 	
1993	TWS Motorsports	 	 	 	 	
1994	TWS Motorsports	 	 	 	 	
Category:American
Category:Stock Car