Matt DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team finished 18th in the second half of a Cup Series double-header at Pocono Raceway.
DiBenedetto official starting position was 32nd for the Explore The Pocono Mountains 350 as the line-up was set based on the finishing order of Saturday’s opener at Pocono.
After three laps on Sunday he was up eight spots, passing some and moving ahead of others who had to go to the rear due to a switch to back-up cars after crashes on Saturday.
He continued to gain positions and ended the first Stage in 19th place. In the second Stage he ran as high as 15th at times but ended that segment in 21st place.
DiBenedetto ran as high as 10th in the early portions of the third and final stage, but Sunday’s 140-lap, like many others at Pocono, boiled down to a fuel-milage race.
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team made its final stop with 38 laps remaining and rejoined the race in 25th place. DiBenedetto, with plenty of fuel to make it to the checkered flag, moved up seven spots in the closing laps to finish 18th.
“We definitely didn’t get the finish we wanted,” he said. “But our hands were kind of tied due to the track position we had to start with.
“That tied down our strategy and held us back.”
He said that performance-wise, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang was better than it might have seemed.
“We definitely had better than an 18th-place car,” he said. “It was really, really difficult to pass because of the aero package. We just wanted to finish the race clean and not do anything that would make a bad situation worse.
“We’ll move on and keep working to be faster.”
DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team now head to Road America for a Fourth of July run on the famed road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisc.
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, visit www.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.
