NASCAR: Dibenedetto Ready for Chicagoland After Best Career Finish
Matt Dibenedetto has come a long way to get to where he is now as he took his number 95 Procore Toyota to a 4th place finish last week at Sonoma. It was his first top 5 finish of his NASCAR career as he ran a tribute car to Darrell Waltrip who recently retired after 19 years at NASCAR on FOX as a Broadcaster. “It was cool driving that car in the first place and dedicating that run and finish to DW. We haven’t had the luck and runs that we deserve as a team. To get this run as a team and show our strength on the track is a step in the right direction for sure,” Dibenedetto said.
DW means a lot to Dibenedetto as the two of them have gotten to know each other over the years, and Dibenedetto always enjoys his passion for the sport. “We have gotten to know each other over the years. I always love his passion for the sport and just people in general. He cares so much about the teams, drivers and fans which is always so good to see.” Dibenedetto commented.
Dibenedetto has been paired with Crew Chief Mike Wheeler this season. Wheeler has spent the last few seasons working with Denny Hamlin at Joe Gibbs Racing the past few years, and Dibenedetto has learned a lot from working with Wheeler this season. “Wheels has taught me a ton, and I’ve learned a lot from him from his years of experience in the sport. He’s elevated this program to the next level because he is a winner. He expects a lot of me inside the racecar and has made me a better race driver,” Dibenedetto mentioned.
The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series heads to the Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, and Dibenedetto has always been a fan of the track and says the racing is always good there. “Any place that is a slick, old and worn out surface has always been one of my favorite tracks, and I always love coming to Chicagoland because it’s one of those tracks that can produce great finishes like we saw last year,” Dibenedetto stated.
The Monster Energy Cup Series season is almost to the halfway point, and the 95 teams have been doing well this season. Dibenedetto hopes to carry the momentum into the second half of the season. “Our speed and strength have been really good this season. We have had to learn and improve at the mile and a half tracks this year. We have been fast at some of the mile and a half like Atlanta and Vegas but didn’t get the finishes we deserved. We had a really fast car in Charlotte and then had a right front tire issue. We are making the most significant gains at the mile and a half tracks and look forward to making progress the rest of the season,” DiBenedetto said.
DiBenedetto is looking for big things heading into this weekend at Chicagoland, and the team is looking for a great finish. “What we are looking for as a team is a solid top 15 finish. That is a good day for our team. If we can click those off consistently, it’s a good day for us. Competing with good cars and some breakout runs as we did at Sonoma would be great. A top 15 finish is a goal for us at a place like Chicagoland,” Dibenedetto stated.
The Camping World 400 is on Sunday, June 30th at 3 PM on NBCSN.