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is an Italian-American professional stock car racer. DiBenedetto first showed an interest in auto racing after receiving his little league trophy around age eight. His father, Tony, who raced an Opel Manta in SCCA and IMSA in the late 1970s and early 1980s, noticed he preferred watching automobile racing on television over baseball. DiBenedetto's father knew that another player on his son's little league team was competing in mini kart racing so he bought him a used kart which a young DiBenedetto drove to his first victory; (pic below). In 2005 he had moved up to larger cars and was still winning. In the Pro 4 Division at the age of 14, he reeled off eight straight wins in a row, and would move up to the Limited Late Models before years end. His first NASCAR race came in 2010, at the night race for the Xfinity Series at Memphis Tennessee; driving the Joe Gibbs owned Toyota, sponsored by Pizza Ranch. He was solid the whole night and had a top 10 performance in 10th.

His next race came at Road America but he had mechanical issues and finished many laps down. DiBenedetto ran six races for Joe Gibbs in 2010, with two top ten finishes. He made two starts in the ARCA Series in 2011 driving for Shigeaki Hattori and had AISIN for sponsorship. He finished 12th at Toledo, and was sixth at Salem. In 2011, he also drove for Laerte Zatta in the K&N Pro Series East. After sponsorship ended, he joined The Motorsports Group midway through 2012 and ran as a start and park driver. During the 2014 season's Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona, DiBenedetto replaced Jeffrey Earnhardt in the #4 JD Motorsports Chevy during the first caution due to Earnhardt suffering a fractured collarbone in a motorcycle accident during the week. For the second race he joined the Motorsports Group, where he start-and-parked the #46 Chevrolet for 12 races and raced the rest with the #46. He

had an 11th-place finish at Road America and a 13th at Mid-Ohio, both road courses. DiBenedetto moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2015. He was originally intended to drive the #83 Dustless Blasting and #93 Toyotas for BK Racing on a part-time basis; he split the #83 during the year with Truck Series driver Johnny Sauter. After Sauter drove the #83 in the Daytona 500, DiBenedetto failed to qualify in his first two attempts at Atlanta and Las Vegas before finally qualifying for his Cup debut at Phoenix. Sauter eventually decided not to race in any other Cup races after the Daytona 500, DiBenedetto took over the #83 full-time and declared for Rookie of the Year contention. At Martinsville Speedway during a practice session, DiBenedetto was involved in an incident with three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart. The incident

occurred when DiBenedetto tried to merge on the track behind Carl Edwards and the gap closed ahead of him. With Stewart fast approaching down the backstretch, DiBenedetto moved up the track in turn three to let Stewart pass. "When I got to (turn) three I didn't want to hold him up, so I just pulled up high and let him go by," DiBenedetto told Foxsports.com. "I got completely out of his way, but that wasn't enough. He tried to wreck me a few times, brake-checking me and flipping me off around the whole track." After the incident, DiBenedetto called Stewart "an arrogant prick". DiBenedetto returned full-time with BK Racing in 2016, though he ran the #93 for the Daytona 500 since Michael Waltrip was in the #83 for

Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond while Dylan Lupton drove the #83, while also driving the #93 at Talladega's Hellmann's 500, as Jeffrey Earnhardt was in the No. 83. DiBenedetto missed the AAA Texas 500 after suffering a concussion during the previous day's Xfinity Series race and was replaced by Earnhardt. He was cleared to return at the following race in Phoenix. For the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead, he drove the #49 to promote the video game NASCAR Heat Evolution's price change to $49.99. On December 8, 2016, DiBenedetto announced he had parted ways with BK Racing. Two days later he announced that he would drive a single-car effort for Go Fas Racing in 2017. Matt saw his best two finishes come in

better. Near the end of the season; Matt decided to take a chance on himself and take his talents elsewhere; hoping to find a better team to race for. He announced he would leave the GoFas Team at the end of the season; and didn't have a deal lined up as to where he would gto. Kasey Kahne had health problems and had to stop driving in the later part of the season; and announced he would retire at the end of the season. After the season concluded DiBenedetto announced he would go to drive for Levine Family Racing wheeling the #95 car. At the same time Levine was to become a satellite team for Joe Gibbs Racing and switch to Toyotas. They will also be getting technical support from Gibbs. If it's anything like when Barney Visser became the satellite team for Joe Gibbs; this team could be very competitive in a couple years. It seems Matt's gamble

would pay off as he got accustomed to racing with his Levine Family Racing team. He certainly showed that his ability to showcase his talent was limited by driving for an under funded team. The first half of the season he posted finishes averaging in the low 20's; but as the second part of the season rolled around his ability began to show. He showed he could run well; especially on tracks where you had to 'drive' and not just run full throttle. He posted a finish of 17th and followed that up with a fourth at Sonoma. He added finishes of fifth at Daytona; fourth at New Hampshire; and sixth at Watkins Glen before a great run at Bristol where he should have won; but while leading, and trying to lap Ryan Newman he got slight damage to his

car which allowed Denny Hamlin to pass him with just 12 laps remaining. He finished out the season strong having eight top 15 finishes in the last 12 races. Unfortunately, he got brushed aside and it was announced that DiBenedetto would be let go at season's end so that Christopher Bell; the Xfinity series driver for Joe Gibbs Racing would take the seat in the #95 in 2020. That left DiBenedetto again looking for a ride. With such an impressive second half of the season he landed a ride driving full time for the Wood Brothers in 2020. He had crew chief Greg Erwin on the box

calling the shots. Paul Menard, who had driven for the Brothers in 2019, was stepping away from full time racing and made that seat available. Menard strongly recommended the Wood Brothers put DiBenedetto in the seat. DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers had a pretty good season. Matt was working hard to be the Woods their 100th career win. This was the best ride DiBenedetto has had in his Cup career; even though the Wood Brothers are a one car team. He almost won in just that the second race of the season. At Las Vegas he brought home a second place finish. Later in the season when NASCAR went to Las Vegas for a second time; DiBenedetto was once again strong; and again came home second. Matty D

was good most of the season; and managed to point his way into the Chase; the first time the Wood Brothers qualify for the Championship playoffs since 2017. However finishes between 17th and 21st the first three races eliminated him from the Chase at the end of the first round. He went on to finish 13th in points. There was much worry for DiBenedetto as his contract did not extend beyond the end of 2020; and was afraid he would not be back to drive for the Woods in 2021. The Woods receive much assistance from Penske Racing; and 2020 Xfinity Champion, Austin Cendric, had proven he was ready to move up to the Cup level. It was announced late in the season that he would return for the following season; but it

and posted his season best fifth at the Indy Grand Prix. He just barely missed the Chase and had finishes in the ‘teens’ for most of the rest of the season. As the season came to a close; he had no idea what he was going to do in 2022; nor did he have any firm offers. On January 6, 2022, Rackley WAR announced that DiBenedetto would drive the #25 full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series for 2022. At the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona, in only his first Truck start, DiBenedetto dodged many wrecks en route to a tenth place finish, the second one ever for Rackley W.A.R. He would follow with a sixth place finish at the Victoria's Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas. It was his second top ten in his second start, and the best finish ever for Rackley W.A.R. in the Truck series. The next four races were a struggle; but then he had a six race stretch with only one

finish worse than 11th. In the 2022 Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, DiBenedetto was running in the Top 10 when ThorSport Racing driver Ty Majeski took Matt and two other trucks four wide coming into Turn three, causing him and the 2 other trucks to crash, ending DiBenedetto's day and putting him in a must win to make the playoffs; which he failed to do. In July the team owner announced he was pleased with the effort and good runs Matt have given his truck during the year; and he was extending his contact through 2023. In October; DiBenedetto validated that commitment, as he drove to the

win at Talladega to get his first ever NASCAR Series win. This was only the second year Rackley W.A.R. has been involved in NASCAR. The team was founded in 2008, by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Willie Allen as a Late Model team under the name Willie Allen Racing, which was shortened to W.A.R. In 2020, Rackley Roofing CEO, Curtis Sutton, bought out half ownership of the team to form the team into a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team at the start of 2021. DiBenedetto was back with Rackley W.A.R. Racing in 2023. He posted two Top 5 finishes on the season. The first was at North Wilkesboro where he finished third. He also finished third at Kansas. He had a fairly good season as he had 12 Top 10 finishes in 20 starts. Toward the end of the year DiBenedetto announced he was going to leave the team and find a place to race somewhere else. Matt had qualified for the play-offs; but when he fell out of contention; the team released him. There were three races to go in the year at the time. DiBenedetto seemed to indicate he had a new team already lined up; but as the season closed, it was never released where he would end up going. But with KBM being sold to Spire Motorsports; and GMS closing down completely at the end of 2023; a qualify ride might be hard to come by. More info as it unfolds. Some info from Wikipedia

Fantasy NASCAR Racing

MATTHEW GUIDO DIBENEDETTO - 07/27/1991 -