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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Matt DiBenedetto's bid for the 2023 championship was cut short this Friday. The #25 Chevrolet Silverado driver for Rackley W.A.R. failed to make it into the Round of 8 in the nationwide series of the sport.
Participating in his second full-time season in the third-tier nationwide series, the 32-year-old's P5 finish during the Kansas Lottery 200 meant he could not qualify for the next round of the postseason. Unsure of his future in the sport as he leaves his current race team by the end of the 2023 season, the #25 Chevy driver showed mixed emotions after the 200-mile-long race.
Matt DiBenedetto elaborated on his feelings in an interview with FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass after the race and said:
"I don't have anything locked down. I don't know, I have a lot of mixed emotions and stuff going through the head. It's been an interesting couple few years of my life. It's just been a rollercoaster of emotions. I've had a lot of career change and life change but ultimately I'm just grateful."
Matt DiBenedetto elaborates on his mindset during late-race cautions at Kansas
Sitting in a must-win position after Nick Sanchez and Chase Purdy dominated stage 1 of the Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, Matt Dibenedetto relied on another wreck to secure a place in the next round of the playoffs. However, as the final caution of the race flew, he saw the field go through with the restart in clean fashion, as opposed to what he would have liked to happen up front.
DiBenedetto elaborated on what happened in an interview with frontstretch.com, saying:
“I was hoping they’d all wreck each other, and I just go by on the bottom. They were wrecking every lap,. They just somehow made it through the corner. It was solid, so I want to get a win real bad. Proud of the effort tonight though regardless of coming up short on points.”
With Christian Eckes crossing the checkered flag in P1, DiBenedetto's hopes of advancing into the playoffs diminished despite him equalling his best finish of the season so far.
It remains to be seen if Matt DiBenedetto will be seen racing in the NASCAR Truck Series next year or whether this season is the last of what we see of the 32-year-old.
