A cut tire early and a brake-line failure late added up to a disappointing afternoon at Daytona International Speedway for Matt DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Mustang lined up 32nd for the start of Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on Daytona’s road course.
After one lap, DiBenedetto had jumped up to 21st place and was inside the top 20 after five laps. Six laps later, his right-rear tire punctured and, in the process, wiped out all of the sheet metal on the right rear of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang.
DiBenedetto drove to pit road, and the Motorcraft crew patched up the damage as best they could. He rejoined the race in 37th place but still on the lead lap.
Despite the damage, he was able to run decent lap times and was running 25th at the end of the second stage.
He stayed on the track during the ensuing caution flag and restarted the race from second place. Even with seven laps of wear on his tires coupled with the aerodynamic disadvantage from the earlier body damage, he was able to remain in the top 15 for four laps.
His team, led by crew chief Greg Erwin, was executing a pit strategy that would have left the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team with an extra set of fresh tires for the finish, but that was all for naught after a right-rear brake line failure – likely due to the earlier incident – sent the No. 21 Mustang to the garage for repairs with 15 laps remaining.
The No. 21 Mustang returned to the race five laps behind the leaders and wound up 37th at the finish.
DiBenedetto said the team’s misfortunes on Sunday were strictly due to bad luck.
“At the start of the race, we were just trying to cruise up through the field,” he said. “Everything was fine. The car was OK. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang was probably not a race winner, but it was going to be fun to get up there and run competitively.
“Then out of nowhere, I ran over something and blew the right-rear tire to pieces. It took the whole right side off the car.”
He said he was surprised at his car’s performance considering the damage.
“Speed-wise, we could still hang in there,” he said. “I thought we could have made something out it, and then we had the problem with the brake-line.
“Everything that happened was out of our control. It was just bad luck.”
The No. 21 team will return to the state of Florida for a third-straight weekend, and will run the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Feb. 28.
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.
