Tag: Matt DiBenedetto

Matt DiBenedetto signs with new NASCAR Xfinity Series team in 2024

Matt DiBenedetto has signed with this new NASCAR Xfinity Series organization for a part-time schedule of at least five races in 2024.

[autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] entered the 2024 NASCAR season without a full-time ride and hasn’t competed in a single race yet. This comes after DiBenedetto and Rackley W.A.R. parted ways before the conclusion of the 2023 season. However, the former NASCAR Cup Series driver appears to have a ride setup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2024.

According to Frontstretch’s Stephen Stumpf, DiBenedetto will drive the No. 38 Xfinity car for Viking Motorsports part-time. Team owner Don Sackett told Fronstretch that DiBenedetto will run at least five races with the organization starting at Richmond Raceway on March 30. The organization will field in the No. 38 car with RSS Racing.

DiBenedetto is also expected to run at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Dover Motor Speedway. Sackett told Fronstretch that he hopes the former Rackley W.A.R. driver can run the whole season with Viking Motorsports. For DiBenedetto, it is an excellent opportunity to return to NASCAR, which he couldn’t pass up.

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2 big NASCAR drivers left off entry lists for opening weekend at Daytona

Two notable NASCAR drivers that were full-time in 2023 have been left off the entry lists at Daytona. Which two drivers will not be racing?

As NASCAR starts the 2024 season at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, two notable drivers have been left off the entry lists. [autotag]Brett Moffitt[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] were full-time drivers in 2023; however, neither driver has any announced plans for 2024. Therefore, they will not be able to pursue a NASCAR championship this season.

Moffitt spent the 2023 season with AM Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and won a one-off race with Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway. Shockingly, he doesn’t have a ride, as success usually results in a seat. Moffitt will likely find a place eventually, but this might be the most shocking development.

For DiBenedetto, his struggles to find a ride for the 2024 NASCAR season have been well documented. He announced his intentions to leave Rackley W.A.R. at the end of 2023, but the organization decided to part ways in the playoffs. DiBenedetto had sponsorship plans that fell through, and now he sits without any opportunity to begin the 2024 season.

NASCAR is a business, and without sponsorship, it is hard for a driver to secure a full-time ride. Moffitt and DiBenedetto are facing this challenge right now, as both drivers deserve an opportunity. It just comes down to the money and the right fit. They will undoubtedly find something eventually, but neither will be present as a driver at Daytona this weekend.

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Matt DiBenedetto provides big update on plans for 2024 NASCAR season

Matt DiBenedetto provides a big update on his plans for the 2024 NASCAR season. What did DiBenedetto have to say about 2024?

[autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] didn’t finish the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series season with Rackley W.A.R., which was a decision made by the organization. DiBenedetto has been looking for opportunities in 2024, but nothing has been announced yet. The 32-year-old driver denied retirement rumors once and has addressed his plans for the 2024 season again.

In a recent video by DiBendetto on social media, he announced that his plans for the 2024 NASCAR season have been delayed after pulling the plug on a sponsorship deal. The former Truck Series driver said he would let the 2024 racing season play out, hoping for part-time or other opportunities to fall his way sooner rather than later.

DiBenedetto has been through an up-and-down NASCAR journey, including losing his NASCAR Cup Series ride with Wood Brothers Racing. He did well with Rackley W.A.R. by making the playoffs, but it wasn’t enough to land a full-time ride in 2024. NASCAR is a business and without sponsorship, it makes racing tough. For DiBebendetto, he hopes it will work itself out soon.

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Matt DiBenedetto linked to Kaulig Racing in NASCAR Cup Series for 2024

Matt DiBenedetto has been linked to Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2024. Would DiBenedetto be a good fit at Kaulig Racing?

[autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag]’s journey in NASCAR has been a rollercoaster. DiBenedetto lost his Cup Series ride and moved to Rackley W.A.R. in the Truck Series. Then, the 32-year-old driver decided to leave the team at the end of 2023. With one month until the start of the new season, DiBenedetto has yet to announce his plans, but he has been linked to a Cup Series team.

When discussing drivers that could be in the mix for starts at Kaulig Racing, Motorsport.com’s Nick DeGroot mentioned DiBenedetto alongside Ty Dillon and Josh Williams. The No. 16 car is a chartered entry, and it appears that it will feature several drivers. One driver who is guaranteed is A.J. Allmendinger, who will compete in the 2024 Daytona 500.

DiBenedetto would be a great fit at Kaulig Racing as he has experience in the Cup Series. Also, he would fit the family atmosphere that the organization practices yearly. DiBenedetto has been through a lot in his NASCAR career, but an opportunity at the top level, even part-time, with Kaulig Racing, would be great for his future.

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Matt DiBenedetto denies retirement, gives update on NASCAR plans for 2024

Matt DiBenedetto pushes back against retirement and provides a big update on his plans for the 2024 NASCAR season.

[autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] drove the No. 25 truck for Rackley W.A.R. in 2022 and 2023; however, he didn’t finish out this season in the entry. DiBendetto and Rackley W.A.R. parted ways and the organization had to fill the seat for the final three races of the campaign. Some questioned whether DiBenedetto would retire or have a ride in 2024 but the driver gave an update on Tuesday night.

According to DiBenedetto in a social media post, he will not retire from NASCAR and continues to work on securing a ride for the 2024 season. Right now, the primary concern for the 32-year-old driver is sponsorship as the business side of NASCAR is tough. DiBenedetto doesn’t have anything “nailed down” but continues to work on the process.

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Any team that signs DiBendetto would be acquiring a driver who wants to rebuild their career. He was in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2015 to 2021 before losing his ride at Wood Brothers Racing. It has been a long and difficult journey for DiBenedetto until this point but if sponsorship works out, he will be back in NASCAR for the 2024 season and likely beyond.

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Matt DiBenedetto’s best ride options for the 2024 NASCAR season

Matt DiBenedetto is looking for a NASCAR ride after leaving Rackley W.A.R. in 2023. Find out DiBenedetto’s best seat options for next year!

[autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] announced last week that he would leave Rackley W.A.R. at the conclusion of the 2023 NASCAR season. Unfortunately for DiBenedetto, he didn’t make it to Phoenix Raceway after the organization announced he wouldn’t finish the season. So, where should the former NASCAR Truck Series driver go next as he pursues a ride for 2024?

DiBendetto could find himself at Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series if he wants to jump into competitive equipment. Chase Purdy will return to the No. 4 truck but the No. 51 truck could have some open starts. It would likely be a part-time opportunity combined with select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series but it would allow him to get into good equipment.

TRICON Garage would be another good option if the goal for DiBenedetto is to have competitive equipment. This would likely be another part-time opportunity, perhaps in a fifth entry, that involves starts in the Xfinity Series. The organization has been strong during the 2023 NASCAR season and would represent a solid landing spot for him.

The best option for DiBenedetto would be a part-time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series. Several drivers, such as Ryan Truex and Trevor Bayne, have gone to the organization to revitalize their careers. The former NASCAR Cup Series driver could be the next competitor to see the same fate if he can find a way to the All-Star entry.

Overall, DiBenedetto has some options that make sense for him. It may not be a full-time opportunity that he seeks but any part-time schedule in competitive equipment would be good for his career. It would allow DiBenedetto to showcase his talent and try to entice a team to give him a good full-time ride for the 2025 season.

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Matt DiBenedetto won’t finish the 2023 NASCAR season with Rackley W.A.R.

Rackley W.A.R. announces that Matt DiBenedetto won’t finish out the 2023 NASCAR season in the No. 25 truck with three races left.

Last week, [autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] announced on social media that he would not return to the No. 25 truck for Rackley W.A.R. in 2024. Despite not having anything lined up, DiBenedetto seemed to be taking the risk of trying to find a better situation for him moving forward. However, he will have to do such a thing without a ride for now.

Rackley W.A.R. surprisingly announced on Tuesday afternoon that DiBenedetto would not finish out the 2023 NASCAR season in the No. 25 truck. This comes after the former Rackley W.A.R. driver was eliminated from the Truck Series playoffs at Kansas Speedway over one week ago. The organization has yet to finalize its plans for the last three races.

It is a bittersweet end to what seemed like a promising partnership between the two sides. DiBenedetto won Rackley W.A.R.’s first Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway during the 2022 NASCAR playoffs and now, the venue will represent the first race following their breakup. The organization should announce a driver within the next week.

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Matt DiBenedetto not returning to No. 25 truck for Rackley WAR in 2024

Matt DiBenedetto announces that he will not be returning to the No. 25 truck for Rackley WAR in the NASCAR Truck Series for 2024.

[autotag]Matt DiBenedetto[/autotag] is currently in his second season with [autotag]Rackley WAR[/autotag] in the NASCAR Truck Series and it has gone well to this point. DiBenedetto won at Talladega Superspeedway last fall and has followed up his victory with a playoff berth during the 2023 NASCAR season. However, this will be the driver of the No. 25 truck’s last run with the organization.

DiBenedetto announced on Wednesday afternoon that he will not return to the No. 25 truck for Rackley WAR in 2024. In the announcement, the 32-year-old driver said this decision has come after careful consideration. Currently, DiBenedetto sits 20 points below the playoff cut-line with the last race of the Round of 10 at Kansas Speedway in two weeks.

As of right now, DiBenedetto does not have a ride for the 2024 season and is exploring options in every series. This may include a possible return to the NASCAR Cup Series if the situation is right for both sides. For now, the Rackley WAR driver will try his best to make a run at the Round of 8 in two weeks as he chases a Truck Series championship.

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Matt DiBenedetto shares brutally honest reaction to being a NASCAR free agent, and fans are crushed

“It’s OK to be pissed off, angry, and bitter and all the above.”

NASCAR’s “Silly Season” — a.k.a. free agency — is in full swing, and the latest news involves several Ford drivers, including Brad Keselowski.

In the premier Cup Series, Team Penske announced Thursday that Keselowski will be out of the No. 2 Ford next season — he’s expected to join Roush Fenway Racing — and he’ll be replaced by Austin Cindric, the reigning second-tier Xfinity Series champion. Originally, Cindric was set to take over the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford next year, replacing fan favorite Matt DiBenedetto. But now with Cindric in the No. 2 car, Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton will pilot the No. 21.

Despite all the shuffling and changes, this still means DiBenedetto — who’s been driving for Wood Brothers Racing, which has a technical alliance with Team Penske, for the last two seasons — is a free agent and looking for a ride for 2022 and beyond.

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In an honest and raw video, DiBenedetto addressed his current situation and said he learned the news Wednesday. The soon-to-be 30-year-old driver has been in this uncertain situation before in his career, and he acknowledged how much it hurts and frustrates him.

He asked fans not to take their anger out on the Wood Brothers because he said they “always will be” family to him. But he also acknowledged the team has struggled this season, calling it “broken,” and said he’s “getting the [expletive] end of the deal.”

In the video, DiBenedetto said:

“I know God has a plan for me. There’s a greater plan, always has been. Blah, blah, blah. But you know what? I didn’t really sleep well last night, and I thought about it and woke up this morning. And, you know, it’s okay to have human emotion and — I’m not gonna lie to you — it’s OK to be pissed off, angry, and bitter and all the above. It just is what it is. We’re humans. We’re not perfect.

“That doesn’t change my faith and knowing there’s a plan for all this and all, but, you know, it doesn’t make enough suck, because it does suck. So, yeah, that is what it is. And so why would I say that I’m, you know, upset and it sucks? Well, obviously, because I don’t know what I’m doing next year. I’ve been through this, we’ve been through this, you guys fans, I’ve been through this journey a lot. And my career’s been full of a lot of heartbreak and frustration and all this. Also, been super fortunate.

“But why would I have these emotions? Because, you know, I was so freakin’ lucky, and still am, to be driving the 21 car. Love it. And I want to get that 100th win for [Wood Brothers Racing] bad. But this 21 team’s also been broken for a while. …

“Now I’m sitting here in a similar situation and not knowing what the future’s going to hold and we’ll figure it out. I do feel like I’ll land on my feet, and it’s all going to be part of a greater plan, and it’s going to work out. It’ll work out greater than ever. I know I’m gonna win the Cup Series, and it’s just amazing what a crazy roller coaster ride of emotion and what the story’s been. And I don’t know why I get through put through these kind of insane tests. I can even script the story the way it is, but it’s just unreal when you look at it.”

Through the first 21 races this season, DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team have two top-5 finishes and five top-10 finishes, including in the last two races where they came in 10th at Road America and ninth at Atlanta. Consistency has been an issue for the group, and in June, they changed crew chiefs.

DiBenedetto — who won the All-Star Race fan vote this year — has never won a Cup Series race, and he has eight top-5 finishes in seven full-time seasons at the sport’s top level.

While fans certainly appreciated his honesty, many are also crushed for him and concerned about his unknown future in NASCAR.

NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets.

Say goodbye to those virtual races, as the NASCAR Cup Series returns for real at Darlington Raceway Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

NASCAR changes: What you need to know

Sunday’s return to action after the pause due to COVID-19 will not have any practice sessions or qualifying. In fact, there will be no practice sessions for any May race, and qualifying will only be held for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte May 24. Here is what we know:

  • Positions 1 through 12 to be determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
  • Positions 13-24 to be determined by a random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36 to be determined by a random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40 to be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

NASCAR standings & Darlington odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, May 13 at 1:25 a.m. ET.

A quick perusal of the current standings after four starts shows Stewart-Haas Racing’s (SHR’s) Kevin Harvick (+600 for Sunday’s Darlington race) sitting in first, one point ahead of Penske Racing’s Joey Logano (+750). Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (+850), Alex Bowman (+1300) and Jimmie Johnson (+2000) are in third through fifth, respectively, while Penske’s Ryan Blaney (+2200) sits sixth. SHR’s Aric Almirola (+5000) is tied for seventh with Kyle Larson (more on him below). Matt DiBenedetto (+5000) of Wood Brothers is ninth, while Penske’s Brad Keselowski (+850) rounds out the top 10.

As for Larson, he was released by Chip Ganassi Racing and indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for uttering a racial slur during a live virtual racing broadcast during the COVID-19 pause. While he has completed a mandated sensitivity training course, Matt Kenseth (+2000) is coming out of retirement to join CGR in the No. 42 car.

Who is going to win Sunday at Darlington Raceway?

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (+500) is noticeably absent from the top 10 in the standings, but he is actually listed as the race favorite due to his recent run of success at the track. While he hasn’t won in the past 10 stops, he has been 11th or better in each of those starts.

Busch has finished seventh or better in eight of his past 10 starts at Darlington, posting a stellar 11.1 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in his 15 overall runs at the South Carolina track.

Johnson actually leads all active drivers with three wins at “The Lady In Black,” and he has a 12.1 AFP in 21 starts with nine finishes inside the top 5. He has also led 554 laps, fourth-most of any driver. Busch actually leads with 716 laps led, followed by Harvick (581) and Denny Hamlin (+700), another driver currently outside of the top 10 in standings. That could change in a hurry, however.

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Martin Truex Jr. (+800) is also flying a bit under the radar – he won this race in 2016, followed by his JGR teammate Hamlin in 2017. So, definitely do not base your wagering decisions on starting position alone. The past two winners have come from a starting position of 15th and 13th, and the last five winners have been from eighth or lower in the starting grid, so the pole hasn’t amounted to much lately.

Darlington Raceway long-shot bets

If you’re looking to back a long shot, why not Kenseth? He is a rather moderate underdog in his return to the track. Kenseth won at Darlington as recently as the 2013 season, and raced a Cup car in 2018, albeit a 25th-place fun. He has five top-10 starts in his past seven Darlington runs, including the 2013 win, so how amazing of a story would it be if he won Sunday?

SHR’s Clint Bowyer (+5000) has been a disaster at Darlington in recent years, posting a 40th-place run in 2017, a 36th-place finish in 2018 before running sixth last season. He is a great driver, but a long shot for a reason, as he has found the title “Track Too Tough To Tame” apropos. In 14 career Darlington starts, he has a dismal 21.6 AFP with just two top-10 showings and only 17 laps led. Still, a driver of his caliber at this price is worth a small-unit bet, especially with all of the chaos and uncertainty heading into the season restart.

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