Debbie Powers
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DiBenedetto will start 16th for The Daytona 500.
February 14, 2020
Showing strong in the Bluegreen Vacation Duel (2) at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday evening, Matt DiBenedetto was overall happy with what he learned and with the way his Wood Brothers Racing Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang performed.
Team owner Eddie Wood liked what he saw too! "It was a good start," Wood said. "We had people working together for the first time, and they all performed well. We had a good pit stop and ran up front for most of the race." He was also impressed with the racing in general. "It was good to see tandem racing-or a form of it-back in play. And I thought both of the Duels were good races. I think this package is going to work."
DiBenedetto started his Duel in eighth place and quickly latched onto the rear bumper of fellow Ford driver Kevin Harvick. When a strong run developed on the top side, the Blue Oval duo made their way through the field, running 1-2 after only 5 laps, maintaining their spot at the front of the pack for most of the race, and through a round of pit stops.
When a strong Chevy run developed on the top side among drivers who had made late pit stops for fresh tires, the Ford duo found themselves in a precarious spot, with daring moves by other drivers. Harvick, at one point, dropped below the yellow line, but DiBenedetto's quick reaction kept both of them out of harm's way and kept their fast Fords intact and ready to compete on Sunday in the 500!
"We were just a little bit of a sitting duck there," DiBenedetto said of the situation. "I slept a little on a block. I felt like I could have gotten up there. The (Chevy drivers) were going to go where we weren't regardless, but I could have tried to stall them out a little bit (but) we learned some good stuff and kept the car in once piece when everyone got real squirrely on the backstretch."
"Kevin go off the track. I let him back in and just made sure we didn't tear up cars because we still have a good car that we want to keep for Sunday."
"It was good to get all that stuff out of the way like getting on pit road and making sure the brakes are good in a race situation. It's different when you all pit in a pack versus practice, so there were little spots where I was conservative and like, 'Ok, on Sunday I know I can get a little bit more here. I can get in the pit stall and get a little bit more here' and then peeling out."
Matt said he learned what kind of blocks he can make, and in general, what he is able to get back in the rhythm of racing. "It was a good test. I should have been a little bit quicker getting up there, so I guess just knocking a little bit of rust off and trying not to crash the primary car;" admitting he was basically kicking himself for not being more aggressive in the final run.
DiBenedetto will return the iconic No. 21 to the track for the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
Watch the 62nd annual Daytona 500 and see if this young man can bring home Wood Brothers Racing's 100th win on Sunday!
The green flag is set just after 2:30 (ET) with coverage on Fox.
Matt DiBenedetto takes his first laps behind the wheel of the Wood Brothers' iconic No. 21 Ford
February 14, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto calls landing a ride with Wood Brothers Racing the "best opportunity of my life."
When Paul Menard chose to step out of full-time racing, he believed DiBenedetto was the logical choice to take over his seat in the No. 21, and Wood Brothers Racing obviously agreed... thus begins a new adventure for the young driver from Grass Valley, CA.
DiBenedetto may be new to Stuart, VA, but he's definitely come to appreciate the team's history.
A few weeks ago, he and his family spent the day with the Woods, visiting the team's museum, and seeing the race cars, photos, trophies, and memorabilia spanning the 70 years the Woods have been in the sport of racing.
Standing on the same ground where Glen and Leonard Wood used a limb from "the" beech tree to pull the engines from their earliest race cars, and visiting the cemetery where Glenn Wood is buried, were a special part of the visit, with DiBenedetto stating that his biggest takeaway is something that applies to the 2020 season as much as to any other in the team's history.
"What really stands out is the family's passion for what they do. That really comes out when they're telling the stories behind the exhibits in the museum" he noted.
He also said they immediately made him feel like family, not just their "driver."
DiBenedetto is humbled to be a part of the family's roster. "It's almost overwhelming, the thought of my name being added to that list. Some of my heroes have been drivers of the 21, and getting to race in it in the Daytona 500 is really a neat moment for my family and me."
Regarding crew chief Greg Erwin, DiBenedetto says they've "meshed really well," noting that "Greg is dedicated, professional, and passionate, and we both want to get to Victory Lane in a Cup car."
DiBenedetto is looking for his first Victory Lane entrance while Erwin has been there five times in the Cup Series.
Matt says he's worked hard on his skills for the style of racing that occurs at Daytona ( as well as at similar Talladega). "I've studied more for super speedway racing than any other form, and in the five years I've been in Cup I think I've improved more at those tracks than others," he said.
"I try to position myself upfront and focus on controlling things that are in my control and hope that the things that are out of control fall into place. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes you end up in the wall, but we're going down there to make some more history."
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew posted the 16th fastest speed in pole qualifying for the 62nd annual Daytona 500, and showed good speed in the early runs at DIS, coming in 10th fastest in Saturday's opening practice session with a 201.902 mph lap; he was eighth among drivers with a best 10-consecutive-lap average of 197.936.
In the second session, with the focus on a single-car run, DiBenedetto was 18th fastest, running just three laps with the best speed of 192.732 mph.
Duel qualifying races are set to start at 7 pm (ET) Thursday, February 13, with Fox Sports 1 TV coverage.
The Daytona 500 is set to start just after 2:30 pm (ET) on Sunday, February 16, with coverage on FOX.
DiBenedetto will represent a team that has won 99 races, including at least one in every decade for the last seven decades, and has fielded only Ford products for its entire history, owning the longest association with a single manufacturer of any motorsports team. And don't forget that Leonard Wood is known for inventing the modern pit stop.
Can DiBenedetto bring home the Daytona 500 win? It would also mark Wood Brothers Racing's 100th win-can you imagine THAT celebration?
February 14, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto calls landing a ride with Wood Brothers Racing the "best opportunity of my life."
When Paul Menard chose to step out of full-time racing, he believed DiBenedetto was the logical choice to take over his seat in the No. 21, and Wood Brothers Racing obviously agreed... thus begins a new adventure for the young driver from Grass Valley, CA.
DiBenedetto may be new to Stuart, VA, but he's definitely come to appreciate the team's history.
A few weeks ago, he and his family spent the day with the Woods, visiting the team's museum, and seeing the race cars, photos, trophies, and memorabilia spanning the 70 years the Woods have been in the sport of racing.
Standing on the same ground where Glen and Leonard Wood used a limb from "the" beech tree to pull the engines from their earliest race cars, and visiting the cemetery where Glenn Wood is buried, were a special part of the visit, with DiBenedetto stating that his biggest takeaway is something that applies to the 2020 season as much as to any other in the team's history.
"What really stands out is the family's passion for what they do. That really comes out when they're telling the stories behind the exhibits in the museum" he noted.
He also said they immediately made him feel like family, not just their "driver."
DiBenedetto is humbled to be a part of the family's roster. "It's almost overwhelming, the thought of my name being added to that list. Some of my heroes have been drivers of the 21, and getting to race in it in the Daytona 500 is really a neat moment for my family and me."
Regarding crew chief Greg Erwin, DiBenedetto says they've "meshed really well," noting that "Greg is dedicated, professional, and passionate, and we both want to get to Victory Lane in a Cup car."
DiBenedetto is looking for his first Victory Lane entrance while Erwin has been there five times in the Cup Series.
Matt says he's worked hard on his skills for the style of racing that occurs at Daytona ( as well as at similar Talladega). "I've studied more for super speedway racing than any other form, and in the five years I've been in Cup I think I've improved more at those tracks than others," he said.
"I try to position myself upfront and focus on controlling things that are in my control and hope that the things that are out of control fall into place. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes you end up in the wall, but we're going down there to make some more history."
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew posted the 16th fastest speed in pole qualifying for the 62nd annual Daytona 500, and showed good speed in the early runs at DIS, coming in 10th fastest in Saturday's opening practice session with a 201.902 mph lap; he was eighth among drivers with a best 10-consecutive-lap average of 197.936.
In the second session, with the focus on a single-car run, DiBenedetto was 18th fastest, running just three laps with the best speed of 192.732 mph.
Duel qualifying races are set to start at 7 pm (ET) Thursday, February 13, with Fox Sports 1 TV coverage.
The Daytona 500 is set to start just after 2:30 pm (ET) on Sunday, February 16, with coverage on FOX.
DiBenedetto will represent a team that has won 99 races, including at least one in every decade for the last seven decades, and has fielded only Ford products for its entire history, owning the longest association with a single manufacturer of any motorsports team. And don't forget that Leonard Wood is known for inventing the modern pit stop.
Can DiBenedetto bring home the Daytona 500 win? It would also mark Wood Brothers Racing's 100th win-can you imagine THAT celebration?
