Whatever happens on Saturday at Gateway International Raceway will merit an asterisk.

* The defending champion in NASCAR's Camping World Trucks series did not race.

A year ago, Johnny Benson Jr. came to GIR in the midst of a stirring competition with Ron Hornaday Jr. for the drivers' championship. They went to the last lap of the last race before Benson sealed the title.

Hornaday returns to GIR for the Copart 200 with a healthy lead in the series. Benson will be in the broadcast booth, performing his part-time duties for the SPEED network and chafing to drive again.

"I'm ready to race today," said Benson, his voice rising in excitement.

If only it were that easy.

If the doctors and the sponsors go along, the popular Benson will return to the trucks series next season. His season as defending champion has been undone by two problem-ridden teams and one horrific wreck.

"I feel bad for not being able to represent the Camping World championship the way it needs to be represented on the track," Benson said. "It makes me sad. That's been a real negative."

The strange story of how a champion was stymied:

THE TEAMS

Benson teamed with Bill Davis Racing last season to win the trucks championship. It was a last hurrah.

The financial storm that hit NASCAR was hard on teams such as BDR, not as well-heeled as some of its peers. Bill Davis faced the choice of selling the team or returning with a threadbare outfit.

Benson did not want a part of either scenario. Before last season's final race, he and Davis agreed to part ways.

Davis sold to Triad Technologies, which shut down the racing operation and focused on building engines and chassis for Toyotas. Benson hooked up with Red Horse Racing in what seemed a promising relationship.

It did not make it to the summer.

An elusive sponsorship deal never materialized. On June 9, owner Tom DeLoach stunned Benson by shutting down the team.

"I got an answer," said Benson, who was seventh in the standings with three top-five finishes in eight races. "I just don't understand it.

"I knew things were going on. Maybe some things could have been done better. But (DeLoach) made the call, and that's what it is."

DeLoach could not be reached for comment. When he shut down Benson's team, DeLoach said in a statement:

"We gave it our best shot. I am saddened … but this is a tough economic climate, and the cost of fielding a team with essentially no support other than our manufacturer is too much for Red Horse Racing to bear alone."

Red Horse had the sponsorship to keep two other truck teams running: the No. 17 of Timothy Peters, who is ninth in the standings; and the No. 11 of TJ Bell, who is 16th.

THE WRECK

In his first weekend out of work, Benson returned to his roots and entered a super-modified race at the Berlin Raceway near his birthplace of Grand Rapids, Mich. The Benson family has a long relationship with the track.

Super-mods are high-speed, open-wheel beasts. On the second lap of his race, Benson was caught up in a fiery wreck that left him with three broken ribs, a broken right wrist and a broken left collarbone in addition to burns.

Benson was hospitalized in serious condition for three days. Upon being released from the hospital, Benson went to his father's race shop in Grand Rapids to check on his damaged ride.

What else would a racer do?

Benson continues to rehabilitate from the injuries and is searching for a ride in 2010. He has enjoyed spending a summer with his family, but he is a racer. Racers race.

"Desire is not an issue," Benson said. "I'm looking forward to next season. I hope to go where we have a chance to win a championship. You have to be in the right place and have the right things happen to do that, but if it happens, watch out."

Benson's peers miss him. In a sign of respect and admiration, Hornaday dedicated a victory at Milwaukee on June 20 to Benson.

"I've learned so much from Johnny," Hornaday said. "Johnny is one of those guys who keeps you honest and makes you run hard. You think you've got everything covered, and here comes Johnny."

Not this weekend. The champion will watch rather than race.