Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team rallied from being one lap down early in Wednesday night’s Blue Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway to take the checkered flag in seventh place.
It was the best Martinsville finish for DiBendetto in 11 career starts and the best for his Wood Brothers team at their home track since Ricky Rudd finished seventh in April, 2005.
DiBenedetto started the race from 19th place and began climbing through the field at a rapid clip.
He was up to seventh place by Lap 43 and in the top five by Lap 51. He was running fifth when the yellow flag was displayed for a competition caution at Lap 61.
He continued to run in the top 10 and ended the first 130-lap Stage in ninth place, earning two Stage points. It was the fourth-straight race and fifth in the past six that he scored Stage points.
DiBenedetto moved up to fifth place by staying on track during the first Stage break. He fell back over a long green-flag run but did hold off Corey LaJoie to take the free pass position at the end of Stage Two.
Back on the lead lap in 16th place, he worked his way back into the top 10 by Lap 344 and continued to advance until taking seventh place for good with just over 80 laps left to run.
He held that spot on to the checkered flag to move up two spots to 13th in the Cup Series standings.
“That was the goal,” DiBenedetto said of his finish. “The whole team did a good job and we had a good recovery at the end.”
He said the tire compound chosen by Goodyear made for an interesting race.
“We started out really fast, and the tire was so different,” he said. “It wore out a lot and made it challenging for everybody.”
DiBenedetto said that as he began to lose speed, crew chief Greg Erwin tried several minor adjustments to the car that didn’t produce the desired results then changed directions.
“Greg took a big swing at it and it really woke up the car,” he said. “He did a good job there going to something else and got us to where we needed to be.”
DiBenedetto said he and Erwin are building a good working relationship despite the challenges presented by the current Cup schedule.
“Without practice and us being a new team working together this year I really feel like we’re making big gains as far as our communication,” he said. “We’ve had some tough races, a little rough luck here and there, so just glad to click off a nice, solid points day.
“We’re getting better as a team and acclimated with each other more.”
DiBenedetto also acknowledged that he’s learned to be a better Martinsville racer.
“As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more disciplined,” he said. “I was very calm even when I was racing somebody hard or side-by-side with them,” he said. “I kept calm and minimized mistakes.
“I don’t think there was a scratch on the car at the end of the race, and that’s tough to do at Martinsville.”
DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team return to the track on Sunday for the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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About Motorcraft:
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Omnicraft:
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visitwww.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.
