Less can be more.

That is what Morrill’s Travis Benjamin has learned.

And he learned it the hard way.

When Benjamin was a regular in the Busch North series in 2001 and 2002, he not only drove his race cars and worked on them, he also balanced the checkbook.

Unfortunately, the numbers in the checkbook were in red ink.

In addition, 39 Busch North races between 2001-2004 produced just one top-10 finish. In the points standings, the highest Benjamin and his underfunded and undermanned team finished was 20th in 2002.

So Benjamin and his father Ron decided to switch gears.

Benjamin ran just one Busch North race in 2004 but ran eight of the 15 races in the less-expensive Pro All-Stars Series and wound up 23rd in points thanks to two top-seven finishes in his last four events.

Last year was a breakthrough season for the Benjamins as Travis, who relinquished the checkbook to his father, collected nine top-10 finishes in 17 races and finished ninth in points. He had three top-threes in the last six races.

And he is off to the best start of his career this season with a fifth in the New England Dodge Dealers 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway and a fourth at the PASS 150 at Hermon’s Speedway 95.

“I hadn’t finished any higher than 25th at Oxford and 13th at Speedway 95,” said Benjamin, who is third in points.

He said the last 14 months have been “the most fun I’ve ever had in racing.

“Being competitive has been the best part of it. The Busch North years were fun because you were able to go to some awesome race tracks like Loudon (N.H.), Dover (Del.) and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) and you got to meet some great people. But when you aren’t competitive, it isn’t fun. You want people to notice you,” said the 27-year-old Benjamin.

Allowing his father to control the checkbook has been beneficial, he said.

“My father is a businessman. He knows what he’s doing. I didn’t,” said Benjamin. “It’s hard to drive knowing that the checkbook is in the negative. Now I don’t have to worry about it. I wish we had done it this way in the Busch series.”

That has allowed him to focus on the car and driving it.

And he has just one car, a 2005 Ford Taurus, instead of two like he had in the Busch North series.

“All we have to do is focus on one car and we’re putting all our money into one car instead of splitting it between two cars,” said Benjamin.

His Taurus has a new engine this year and he pointed out that virtually every component of his car is no more than 2 years old.

“It’s nice. It’s something I’ve never had before,” said Benjamin. “The car has been running great.”

The former standout point guard at Belfast High School, who coaches the freshman boys basketball team in Belfast, said his race team is very much a family affair.

In addition to his dad, his cousins, brothers Matt and Marcus Benjamin, are two of his crew members. Long-time friend Corey Reynolds is his crew chief and Corey’s father, Alfred, works on the car at the garage in Morrill every night.

Benjamin’s wife, Heidi (Moody), and her family are also involved in his team financially as well as providing support at the track.

Benjamin, who has also run a couple of PASS South races in North Carolina, finishing 17th and 13th, said his goals for this season are to notch his first win in the PASS series and run in the top five as often as possible.

“If you run in the top five every week, eventually you’ll win,” said Benjamin.

Benjamin and his team will head to the Canaan Fair Motorsports Complex (N.H.) for Saturday night’s PASS race.

PASS Outlaws at 95 Sunday

The PASS Outlaw series will make its debut at Hermon’s Speedway 95 on Sunday afternoon beginning at 1.

In addition to the 106-lap Outlaws series race for the pro stock cars, there will be racing in the Limiteds, Super Streets, Strictly Streets and Sport-Four classes.

In the first Outlaws race, held at Unity Raceway on April 30, Albion’s Matt Lee took the checkered flag. Benton’s George Fernald Jr. and Solon’s Ben Erskine finished second and third, respectively.