After aiming to make his first start of the 2026 NASCAR season back in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Darlington Raceway in March but failing to qualify in a Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen entry, veteran driver Matt DiBenedetto went more than six months without getting back behind the wheel in any NASCAR series.
He finally landed another opportunity with Young's Motorsports to compete in back-to-back races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier this month. He finished those races in 23rd and 21st place, respectively, solidifying the 2026 season as his 18th consecutive season with at least one national series start.
But DiBenedetto, who competed full-time in the series for Viking Motorsports before being replaced with three races remaining a year ago, does not have any further starts lineup for the rest of 2026.
Matt DiBenedetto replacement confirmed for Phoenix
This weekend at Phoenix Raceway, it's Brad Perez who is set to be back behind the wheel of the No. 42 Young's Motorsports Chevrolet for the sixth time this season. He has made three starts in the car and two relief appearances. He has also run three additional races with two other teams, making his appearance this weekend his ninth of the year.
Perez has never run a NASCAR national series race at Phoenix, although he did attempt to qualify for the season finale at the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) oval in Avondale, Arizona back in 2023.
All four of the top 20 finishes he's earned in his career have come on road or street courses, with his best oval result being the 21st place finish he recorded in the No. 42 car at Martinsville Speedway back in March.
The team have not yet named a driver of the No. 42 entry for any of the season's final three races at Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, or Homestead-Miami Speedway, so this race might not be Perez's last of the year. Likewise, it's entirely possible that DiBenedetto could return. With his two starts at Las Vegas and Charlotte, DiBenedetto became the car's 13th different driver in 2026.
Saturday's race, the Timberland PRO 200, is set to be shown live on the CW Network from Phoenix Raceway starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action from the sixth race on the nine-race 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series postseason calendar!
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