As the NASCAR Cup Series season comes down to the final two races, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are hoping to end their season with a couple of strong finishes.
The first chance comes this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, the Wood Brothers’ home track, in the 73rd running of the race now known as the Xfinity 500.
The Woods have competed at Martinsville 120 times, beginning with in 1953 when the team’s late founder Glenn Wood drove a Lincoln on the half-mile paper-clip-shaped oval just east of the Woods’ hometown of Stuart, Va.
Since then they’ve won two times at Martinsville, along with posting 28 top-five and 45 top-10 finishes. Two of those top-10s came in 2020, DiBenedetto’s first year with the No. 21 team.
Back in April, DiBenedetto came close to adding a third straight top-10 at Martinsville but wound up 12th.
He’s excited about returning to Martinsville for his 14th career start there and his fourth aboard the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang.
“It’s one of my favorite tracks of the year,” he said. “Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustangs are strong there.”
If DiBenedetto can score top-10 finishes in the next two races, including the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, he’ll tie his career-best season for top-10s, set last year with 11.
He’s vowing to do just that.
“We are going to make the most of it as the end of the season approaches,” he said.
There will be no practice or qualifying prior to the start of Sunday’s 500-lapper. DiBenedetto is set to start 21st, as the line-up was determined using performance metrics from last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.
The green flag is set to fly at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, with Stage breaks at Laps 130 and 260. NBC will carry the live TV broadcast.
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.
