Debbie Powers
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Four races at four different kinds of tracks finds DiBenedetto 9th in points Phoenix, Arizona
Sunday March 8th, 2020
Starting 12th at AutoClub Speedway in Fontana, CA, Matt DiBenedetto jumped right into the top five and stayed there through most of the opening Stage, ending the segment in place 8, gaining three bonus points.
During Stage 2, the Menards Mustang became increasingly loose as green-flag runs continued and DiBenedetto found his car wasn't quite as fast has it had been. However, he still ran in the top 15 for most of the 60 laps before finishing the segment in the 16th position.
His Menards team made adjustments during the pit stop and DiBenedetto restarted in 19th place for Wood Brothers Racing.
Finding his car to be much improved, DiBenedetto drove his way to 13th to finish the final segment, gaining him two positions in the Cup Series standings.
"It was a good run for us," owner Eddie Wood said. "The car got loose as the race went on, but they kept adjusting on it, got it tightened, and Matt was able to make up some spots at the end."
The iconic NO. 21 and Wood Brothers Racing now head to Phoenix Raceway for Sunday's Fan Shield 500.
DiBenedetto is still seeking that elusive 100th win for his team!
Matt DiBenedetto is off to a good start with Wood Brothers Racing after his first four races with the team and of the 2020 season.
DiBenedetto finished 13th in Sunday’s Fanshield 500 in Phoenix as the West Coast Swing concluded.
Starting in 9th position, the driver of the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang immediately began his forward momentum, in seventh by lap 10, fifth by lap 28, and holding through the end of Stage 1 to finish in fourth and earn seven stage points.
Stage 2 proved more challenging for DiBenedetto due to a tight-handling issue, finding him with a 17th-place stage finish.
On each stop, Crew chief Greg Erwin and the No. 21 crew kept adjusting and Matt drove up to the eleventh position at one point...
DiBenedetto managed to avoid multiple collisions in the closing laps and a fresh set of tires enabled him to get a 13th-place finish as the race went into overtime.
Eddie Wood said the team’s work in the first four races has him optimistic heading into the upcoming weekend.
“We’ve had four races at four different kinds of tracks, and it’s encouraging to be ninth in points. Now we’ll go to Atlanta and see how it goes there.”
Atlanta is a 1.5 mile oval in Hampton, GA. It has 24-degree banking in the turns and five degrees on the straights. It is owned by SMI.
You can see how DiBenedetto fares in his next pursuit of Wood Brothers’ 100th win on Sunday, March 15, at 2 pm (ET) on Fox.
Fun Fact: The race will mark Wood Brothers’ 107th start at the 60-year-old track where they’ve had 12 wins! Who says “13” can’t be a lucky number?
Chat with me here: @DebbiePowers11
Sunday March 8th, 2020
Starting 12th at AutoClub Speedway in Fontana, CA, Matt DiBenedetto jumped right into the top five and stayed there through most of the opening Stage, ending the segment in place 8, gaining three bonus points.
During Stage 2, the Menards Mustang became increasingly loose as green-flag runs continued and DiBenedetto found his car wasn't quite as fast has it had been. However, he still ran in the top 15 for most of the 60 laps before finishing the segment in the 16th position.
His Menards team made adjustments during the pit stop and DiBenedetto restarted in 19th place for Wood Brothers Racing.
Finding his car to be much improved, DiBenedetto drove his way to 13th to finish the final segment, gaining him two positions in the Cup Series standings.
"It was a good run for us," owner Eddie Wood said. "The car got loose as the race went on, but they kept adjusting on it, got it tightened, and Matt was able to make up some spots at the end."
The iconic NO. 21 and Wood Brothers Racing now head to Phoenix Raceway for Sunday's Fan Shield 500.
DiBenedetto is still seeking that elusive 100th win for his team!
Matt DiBenedetto is off to a good start with Wood Brothers Racing after his first four races with the team and of the 2020 season.
DiBenedetto finished 13th in Sunday’s Fanshield 500 in Phoenix as the West Coast Swing concluded.
Starting in 9th position, the driver of the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang immediately began his forward momentum, in seventh by lap 10, fifth by lap 28, and holding through the end of Stage 1 to finish in fourth and earn seven stage points.
Stage 2 proved more challenging for DiBenedetto due to a tight-handling issue, finding him with a 17th-place stage finish.
On each stop, Crew chief Greg Erwin and the No. 21 crew kept adjusting and Matt drove up to the eleventh position at one point...
DiBenedetto managed to avoid multiple collisions in the closing laps and a fresh set of tires enabled him to get a 13th-place finish as the race went into overtime.
Eddie Wood said the team’s work in the first four races has him optimistic heading into the upcoming weekend.
“We’ve had four races at four different kinds of tracks, and it’s encouraging to be ninth in points. Now we’ll go to Atlanta and see how it goes there.”
Atlanta is a 1.5 mile oval in Hampton, GA. It has 24-degree banking in the turns and five degrees on the straights. It is owned by SMI.
You can see how DiBenedetto fares in his next pursuit of Wood Brothers’ 100th win on Sunday, March 15, at 2 pm (ET) on Fox.
Fun Fact: The race will mark Wood Brothers’ 107th start at the 60-year-old track where they’ve had 12 wins! Who says “13” can’t be a lucky number?
Chat with me here: @DebbiePowers11
Photo Credit Merry Mendoza
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Photo Credit Merry Mendoza
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Photo Credit Debbie Powers
DiBenedetto heads to CA optimistic after Vegas 2nd place finish
Las Vegas, Nevada
February 23, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto, in his second race for Wood Brothers Racing, brought the iconic No.21 home in second place for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas last weekend.
Starting 19th, after a rain-out set the order by car owner points, DiBenedetto steadily worked his way through the field, benefitting from each pit stop and breaking into the top-10 with 87 laps to go. Going a lap down on lap 163 when a caution flag flew before the pit stop cycle ended, he took the wave-around, and back on the lead lap, was able to continue his forward quest.
In seventh place, with 35 laps to go, Ross Chastain spun, and crew chief Greg Erwin kept DiBenedetto on the track; that decision put the Motorcraft/Quicklane Mustang in third place for the green flag with only 2 laps remaining.
Even on older tires, DiBenedetto moved up to the second place, claiming it when the caution flag flew and the field was frozen.
DiBenedetto wasn’t surprised by the speed and improvements during the race, stating “ I knew the team has every bit of that capability. They’re so good with Greg Erwin leading these guys. This team is phenomenal. There’s no doubt about that.”
Earlier in the day, he did have some concerns...”It wasn’t a picture-perfect day. We had to make huge adjustments and our communication was great from me screaming really loose and us being off to start, and then dialing it in little by little every pit stop, and then getting it there at the end where I was comfortable staying out because I knew the car had great speed.”
“It was best on long runs and we just needed a little track position because we were a little stuck in the dirty air.”
Watch Matt wheeling the No. 21 in Fontana, CA this weekend for the Auto Club 400. He sits 10th in points, -25 behind Ryan Blaney who has 85 points.
The season is off to a good start for the No.21 team!
Photo Credit Debbie Powers
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?
