Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway hoping to put some recent bad luck behind them in Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301.
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team ran in the top 10 – and often in the top five – throughout the month of July but the overall results of those four races don’t reflect that.
They did get a third-place finish at Kentucky Speedway but a wreck on the last lap at Indianapolis, contact with a driver trying to make a sudden move to pit road at Texas and being swept up in a multi-car crash at Kansas left DiBenedetto and the team thinking about what might have been had their luck been better.
DiBenedetto remains in contention to be one of the 16 drivers who start the Playoffs, which begin after seven more regular season races. That quest begins anew on Sunday at New Hampshire, where DiBenedetto finished fifth last year driving for his previous team.
Eddie Wood said he’s optimistic about the prospects for his family’s race team.
“We’ve had some unfortunate things happen the last couple of weeks,” he said. “We hope to turn that around beginning this weekend at Loudon.”
Wood said DiBenedetto and the team are in a good place when it comes to performance.
“They have speed, which is the most important thing,” he said. “Matt’s been doing a great job behind the wheel, especially on restarts where he really stands out.
“Greg [Erwin] has been making good calls from the pit box, and the crew has been solid on pit road.
“We just need to get to the end of these races, and we’ll wind up where we need to be in points.”
DiBenedetto is 13th in the points standings and 15th in the Playoff standings heading into Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, which is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBCSN.
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.
