Benson knows the hardships of becoming successful on the track, whether it's driving or building the right car. He has owned one car all his life, this '91 240SX, which is not only complete in all respects, but also historical in the U.S. drifting scene. His car was featured in the first Drift Day, first D1 Driver Search, first Drift Showoff, which he won, and first season of Formula D, where he raced in Irwindale, Houston and Atlanta. His car is on its third engine, third set of suspension, has burned through five clutches and has been painted twice. "I learned everything about cars, racing and drifting with this car," Benson adds, "But the most important thing is if I didn't have this car, I would have never met Nadine." We'll give you a few minutes to get your barf bag.
Benson's 240SX, not surprisingly, also has a SR20DET with an OEM S15 turbocharger, Tanabe Racing Medallion exhaust, HKS Type-S intercooler and a Mine's tuned ECU. His car produces 220 hp at 1 bar and rides on a set of 18x9 AME Circular Spec R wheels, custom painted a light gold. He's owned it for seven years and dropped stacks of coin to improve its mobility and good looks, making Benson request a call to the public not to "jack him." After all, he's a married man who needs to protect his investments. "At this point in my life, I'm trying to figure out where drifting and cars fit," Benson says, "My priorities have totally changed and I'm trying to find that perfect balance, though I'm sure I'll be drifting cars until I'm on my deathbed or until tires aren't made anymore."
The couple has graduated to one of the hardest aspects of the sport, tandem drifting, in which a set of two cars follow each other throughout the track using the same lines and speed. Tandem drifting is often employed in professional competitions, where the lead driver feints maneuvers to upset the chase driver and to see how close the chase driver can get to the lead driver, where sometimes an overtaking occurs. It can also be an aesthetic exhibition of skill and technique, where numerous cars parade around the track not once colliding with the other. Benson and Nadine have an advantage in case a collision happens during a tandem drift. "I know at the end of the day, if we crash, it's going to be okay because what's mine is his and what's his is mine," Nadine laughs, "So no blame will be passed."
"But the bad thing is that if we crash," Benson adds, "That's double the cars we have to fix!" Either way, they have enough love for each other that if one messes up no penalties are incurred, like sleeping on the couch or no bumpin' uglies for the night.
One of Benson's favorite photos in their living room is of them tandem drifting. "It's like taking the 'couple's picture' to the next level!" he says. It's also something that's rare in the industry because there aren't many husband and wife tandem drifters out there. This connection is why Benson and Nadine are as unique as a married couple can get, a link that creates an enduring relationship and even a stronger will to win on the track.