NASCAR: 5 possible landing spots for Matt DiBenedetto in 2020
By Asher Fair
JR Motorsports (Xfinity Series)
Another option for Matt DiBenedetto for the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season if he is willing to leave the Cup Series is JR Motorsports.
While it is unclear who he would replace given the situations of the team’s three current full-time drivers or if he would join the team as their fourth full-time driver should this move happen, this move makes sense in the long run if he wants to return to the Cup Series as soon as possible while still competing for a contending team on some level before he returns.
Right now, there is no clear favorite to replace Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series when he eventually retires.
His current contract with the team expires at the end of the 2020 season, and while he hasn’t confirmed that he will retire at the end of the 2020 season, his recent decline in performance suggests that he may not return to the series in 2021.
A move to JR Motorsports, which are co-owned by Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, would put DiBenedetto in a position to prove himself as a viable option to be the heir apparent to the seven-time Cup Series champion behind the wheel of the iconic #48 Chevrolet.
He would be with a contending Xfinity Series and have a solid chance to be promoted to a contending Cup Series team, and he would likely arrive at the latter sooner than he would if he were to pursue any other option in the Xfinity Series.