DiBenedetto looks to build on his 2020 success starting at Daytona.
As one of NASCAR’s favorite sons, Matt DiBenedetto has fans cheering for his underdog stories and competitors respecting the highly-motivated march to a top-tier team. The 29-year old Californian has worked his way up the NASCAR Cup Series ranks and will drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford for the second consecutive season. He tied his career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish with runner-up showings at both Las Vegas races and a third-place finish at Kentucky last year. And he finished out 2020 with three straight top-ten runs – promising that a good conclusion to 2020 is a good omen to the start of 2021.
“It felt like the last half of the season – especially the last third of the season – is where all of a sudden it really clicked for us as a team,” said Matt DiBenedetto. “That’s why you saw us clicking off top-tens consistently, running up front, competing for wins because I felt like we were getting to where we needed to be as a team.”
“Yeah, that 100 percent that momentum I feel confident is going to carry directly over into the season just because we have all that time together, we have all those notes together and that’s where it’s really coming together, so I’ve been pretty pumped about this season because of that exactly.”
DiBenedetto Looks to Build on his 2020 Success
DiBenedetto insists that navigating a difficult path to a top ride is exactly what has strengthened his resolve and ultimately, he believes, will result in that first career NASCAR Cup Series victory.
“I think people understand a little bit of my path to get here and the struggles and the pressure and everything that I’ve overcome,” DiBenedetto said. “I mean this in a humble way, it’s humbled me to an extreme that I couldn’t possibly explain, but it’s also made me so mentally tough, and I’m thankful for that because it’s made me who I am today to where I don’t even think about that type of stuff or the pressure. I more look at it as great opportunity and I would have done anything my whole career to be sitting in this position where I’m really establishing myself in the Cup Series driving the 21.
“We have all this momentum to go out there and have what I feel like will be the best year of my career by far, so, no, to answer your question. I’m pretty mentally tough at this point and I’m thankful for that and it honestly doesn’t even pop up in my brain. I’m just excited and focused on the competition side and the opportunity we have this year to go kick some butt.”
Check out our preview of Daytona on Fan4Racing Radio