NASCAR Cup Series: Matt DiBenedetto likely out of a ride for 2020
By Asher Fair
Matt DiBenedetto is rumored to lose his ride with Leavine Family Racing after the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season comes to a close.
Matt DiBenedetto gambled late in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, announced that he would leave Go Fas Racing at the end of the season to seek a better opportunity. He ultimately landed that opportunity with Leavine Family Racing, which announced that they would be switching manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota and forming a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Leavine Family Racing and the 28-year-old Grass Valley, California native have made major strides throughout the first 23 races of the 36-race season.
DiBenedetto has recorded an average finish of 12.88 in the last eight races with four top eight finishes, including a career-high fourth place finish in the race at Sonoma Raceway, after starting the season with an average finish of just 24.47 and a top finish of only 12th in the first 15 races.
But despite this success, he likely won’t return to the team next year.
Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern shared this development on Twitter.
.@MattDRacing is unlikely to return to LFR's No. 95 Toyota next year, per people familiar, despite pulling off several impressive finishes of late in @NASCAR Cup.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 13, 2019
➖ @LFR95 has been seen for months as the top option for @JoeGibbsRacing to slot either @CBellRacing or @Erik_Jones. pic.twitter.com/5coB7UfbXm
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This is basically the end result of a domino effort involving Joe Gibbs Racing. The team are eager to promote Xfinity Series superstar Christopher Bell to the Cup Series, but the only ride within the team that had the chance to be open was that of Erik Jones. Jones has been tipped to return to the team next year.
As a result, Bell has been tipped to drive for Leavine Family Racing. He signed a contract to remain with Joe Gibbs Racing next season, albeit not in a specific series, so he would effectively be loaned out to the team using their technical alliance, much like Jones was loaned out to the then Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated Furniture Row Racing team for the 2017 season before he replaced Matt Kenseth behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota the following year.
Of course, the possibility does still exist that DiBenedetto will end up competing in the Cup Series with a different team. Stewart-Haas Racing has been floated as one possible destination and perhaps the best possible destination with two of their four drivers being on the hot seat.
But as of now, it looks as though DiBenedetto will be in a position similar to the one that he was in last year, albeit not self-induced this time around.
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With Matt DiBenedetto not likely to return to Leavine Family Racing for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series as a result of Erik Jones being tipped to return to Joe Gibbs Racing and Christopher Bell being tipped to move to the Cup Series as DiBenedetto’s replacement, where will he end up next year? Will he still be competing in the series?