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What will happen to Matt DiBenedetto at the end of the 2021 season?
For a while, Matt DiBenedetto had a special connection with NASCAR fans. An underdog with the under-funded Leavine Family Racing, the 29-year-old showed incredible consistency throughout the 2019 season.
His fourth-place finish at Sonoma was a standout moment. It showed the American could perform when given a good car. With three top-5 and seven top-10 finishes, Matt DiBenedetto proved he could do well in sub-par equipment, maintaining an average finish of 18.3.
Unfortunately for DiBenedetto, Leavine Family Racing dropped him for Christopher Bell in 2020, forcing the 29-year-old to leave the team.
On the back of his performances at Leavine Racing, he quickly landed at Wood Brothers Racing for the 2020 season and even made the playoffs for the first time in his Cup Series career.
Fast forward to 2021, and Matt DiBenedetto is struggling to keep his ride at Wood Brothers Racing. He has had poor performances in the first two races of the season. Coupled with a plethora of other drivers aiming for a drive, it could leave him without a seat next season.
Matt DiBenedetto's season of horrors started in the Daytona 500, where he got caught up in an early Big One and could not continue. He placed 33rd in the standings, making for a very disappointing opening race.
Things went from bad to worse the following week at the road course, where DiBenedetto finished 37th out of the 40 cars in the race. The American also finished 28th at Homestead-Miami Speedway and moved to 35th in the standings.
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Unfortunately for DiBenedetto, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, two of the most challenging tracks in the entire Cup Series are next. Also coming up is Atlanta, where he has an average finish of 27.33.
In his contract year, Matt DiBenedetto is not doing enough to stay at the Cup Series level. This could lead to a move to the Xfinity or Camping World Truck Series, where he may revive his career against younger drivers in NASCAR.
Another hurdle facing DiBenedetto is the lack of cars available for next year. Kurt Busch's ride at Chip Ganassi Racing could be available at the end of the year, but the 29-year-old hasn't shown enough to deserve the seat.
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He finished 13th last year, compared to 34th in the standings so far. Whether Matt DiBenedetto can prove he deserves another chance in the Cup Series remains to be seen, but he is not doing himself any favors this season.
His future depends on how DiBenedetto tackles the rest of the schedule His finish at Homestead wasn't promising, and it could signal the beginning of the end for the 29-year-old American.
