NASCAR: Matt DiBenedetto was set to be released, but plans changed
By Asher Fair
Matt DiBenedetto was reportedly slated to be out at Wood Brothers Racing following the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. But Team Penske changed their minds.
Matt DiBenedetto has been the subject of quite a bit of NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season speculation over the last few weeks and months, given his situation at Wood Brothers Racing.
After losing his ride with Leavine Family Racing following the 2019 season, the 29-year-old Grass Valley, California native signed with the Wood Brothers as the replacement for Paul Menard behind the wheel of the #21 Ford.
But he only signed a one-year deal with the team, and they had to make the decision whether or not to pick up his option to keep him behind the wheel of that car for a second year in 2021.
Qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in his career evidently wasn’t enough for the driver who had previously finished no higher than 22nd place in the championship standings in five seasons.
But here we are, and DiBenedetto is now under contract to return to Wood Brothers Racing.
So what happened?
According to Sports Business Journal‘s Adam Stern, DiBenedetto effectively saved his job with his race at Talladega Superspeedway this past Sunday.
.@MattDRacing effectively saved his job with a superb drive at Dega, as @Team_Penske changed course late and found the compromise of promoting @AustinCindric in '22.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 8, 2020
➖ Increasing doubts that DiBenedetto would be extended for '21 had led his reps to look into other new options. pic.twitter.com/WXyT7bFhhP
DiBenedetto finished this 200-lap race around the four, turn 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked oval in Lincoln, Alabama in 21st place, but he crossed the finish line in second.
He led the final seven laps prior to the final lap in what was the race’s third overtime period and tried to protect his lead from Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, who entered the race as the most recent winner on a superspeedway with his win at Daytona International Speedway in late August.
That allowed Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin to shoot up the inside and take the checkered flag ahead of DiBenedetto.
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DiBenedetto was then penalized for forcing Byron below the double yellow line, a penalty that dropped him to the tail end of the lead lap ahead of only one other driver who committed the same offense (Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher, who blocked Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott.)
Austin Cindric, current Team Penske Xfinity Series driver and son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, was believed to be on his way to replace DiBenedetto behind the wheel of the #21 Ford next year, given the fact that Wood Brothers Racing have a technical alliance with Team Penske.
DiBenedetto’s race at Talladega Superspeedway reportedly put that off by a year.
Cindric is still slated to compete in the Cup Series next year, but only in select races for Team Penske. He is set to return to full-time Xfinity Series competition and will undoubtedly enter the 2021 season as a championship favorite, given the success he has had this year during what has been a breakout season.
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He is slated to move to full-time competition as DiBenedetto’s replacement in 2022, thus giving DiBenedetto another full season to assess his options moving forward and try to land another ride while continuing to compete for a competitive team.