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NASCAR: 10 small-team drivers who deserve Danica Patrick’s ride

By Asher Fair

LOUDON, NH - JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton's 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NH - JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton's 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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RICHMOND, VA – APRIL 29: Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #32 EJ Wade Construction Ford (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
RICHMOND, VA – APRIL 29: Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #32 EJ Wade Construction Ford (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /

#7 – Matt DiBenedetto, Go FAS Racing, No. 32 Ford

Admittedly, it may have been a bit of a stretch to say without a doubt that the first three drivers in this article deserve to drive the #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford more so than Danica Patrick does. After all, Sorenson, Whitt and Cassill has one combined top 10 finish since the 2010 season, with Whitt and Cassill having just one combined top 10 finish in 381 career NASCAR Cup Series races. It is still, however, certainly arguable for all three drivers.

But now things get serious. From #7 all the way through #1 is where the small-team drivers are who, without a doubt, deserve Patrick’s ride more than she does. Let’s really start getting things going here with Matt DiBenedetto.

DiBenedetto, 26, is a relatively new driver in the Cup Series. He came to the Cup Series in the 2015 season as a full-time driver, and he has driven full-time in the series ever since. In his first two seasons, he drove for BK Racing, and he now drives for Go FAS Racing.

It took him until his 41st career race to finally finish higher than 18th place, but he did so with a 6th place finish at Bristol last season, already tying Patrick’s career-high result. He added two more top 9 finishes in the 47 races that followed that, as he finished in 9th place at Daytona and 8th place at Indianapolis this season.

DiBenedetto has earned three top 9 results over the course of the last 51 races, while Patrick hasn’t finished in the top 9 in any of the last 87 races dating back to the 2015 season. Let’s not forget the fact that he earned these results driving for BK Racing and Go FAS Racing while she has failed to perform as a Stewart-Haas Racing driver.

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