As the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season enters the homestretch, with just four races left to run, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Atlas/Mohawk team continue to put fast Ford Mustangs on the race tracks and come away with good results more often than not.
DiBenedetto and the team, having posted nine top-12 finishes in the past 13 races, hope to keep that momentum rolling in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The team heads to the 1.5-mile track in Ft. Worth coming off a sixth-place finish on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That was his and the team’s ninth top-10 finish of the season, and they’re hoping to move into double digits this weekend at Texas, where they finished eighth last fall in their most recent appearance there.
DiBenedetto said his and the team, now 19th in the points standings, are more focused on the checkered flag than statistics and the standings as the season winds down.
“Our Menards Mustangs have been fast at Texas,” DiBenedetto said. “It’s crazy to think the season is almost over, but Texas is a track where we have had excellent speed in the past.
“Our only goal is to go for the win.”
There will be no practice or qualifying prior to the start of Sunday’s 501-miler. DiBenedetto will start 13th as the line-up was set based on metrics from the most recent race, at Charlotte, with the eight remaining Playoff contenders starting in front of all others.
The green flag is set to fly just after 1 p.m. (2 p.m. Eastern Time) with Stage breaks at Laps 105 and 210. NBC will carry the live TV broadcast.
Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states. Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.
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.
