NASCAR team releases driver with three races left
By Asher Fair
Rackley WAR have confirmed that Matt DiBenedetto will not be back with the team for the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series season.
Matt DiBenedetto recently announced that he planned to leave Rackley WAR at the end of the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series season, his second season with the team after spending several years in the Cup Series.
But just weeks after that announcement, the team decided to release him early. Without specifically naming the 32-year-old Grass Valley, California native, Rackley WAR noted that they will be making a driver change for the final three races of the 2023 season.
Announcements regarding the new driver or drivers of the No. 25 Chevrolet are set to come in due time.
— Rackley W.A.R. (@Rackley_WAR) September 19, 2023
No reason for making the change was given, with that information presumably set to follow once those transaction details are finalized.
The most logical explanation would be that the team know they are going to lose DiBenedetto after 2023 anyway, so they want to get a look at potential replacements ahead of time.
The season’s final three races are scheduled to take place at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, September 30; Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 21; and Phoenix Raceway on Friday, November 3, so there is still time for the team to decide on what to do moving forward.
DiBenedetto shared his disappointment with the news, indicating that he isn’t the one who initiated the early departure, even after making clear that he would be pursuing other opportunities for next year.
No words can express the disappointment I’m feeling right now and also not being able to finish the season out. I really want to thank my fans for always being there for me, it means the world to me and I’ll always be there for you. Thank you NASCAR and Craftsman for such an…
— Matt DiBenedetto (@mattdracing) September 19, 2023
The decision he made about his future beyond 2023 was made at the end of August.
— Matt DiBenedetto (@mattdracing) August 30, 2023
Next. All-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list. dark
DiBenedetto did not make it to the playoffs in his first season with the team last year, but he did win the playoff race at Talladega. The win was his first in any national NASCAR series. This season, he qualified for the playoffs without a win but was eliminated in the opening round of 10.