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Matt DiBenedetto’s Search for a NASCAR Seat Could Be Close to Its End

Published 01/10/2024, 12:00 AM EST

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On December 28, Matt DiBenedetto posted an emoji of a pen of X, hinting that he may be close to signing for a team in the Cup Series. But so far there hasn’t been any concrete update on his future with the new season only a few weeks away. It has been a difficult silly season for him, but the 32-year-old’s misery seems to be coming to an end. However, recent reports have suggested that DiBenedetto could end up in a Cup Series team that emerged as race winners in the 2023 season.

After years of racing full-time in the Cup, Matt DiBenedetto lost his ride at the end of the 2021 season and moved to the Truck Series. There, he drove two seasons with Rackley W.A.R. and finished 13th and 10th, in 2022 and 2023 respectively before bidding goodbye to them. But with the season near to kick off, the former Truck Series driver is yet to land a seat for the 2024 campaign.

Cup Series race winners have their sights set on Matt DiBenedetto?

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Matt DiBenedetto has participated in 248 races in the Cup Series and has yet to win even a single one. That’s probably why teams at the highest level are skeptical about investing in the 32-year-old. Nick DeGroot of Motorsports.com mentioned DiBenedetto alongside Ty Dillon and Josh Williams could be in the mix for starts at Kaulig Racing.

The report suggests that he will be one of the drivers behind the #16 Cup Series car. It is important to note that these are nothing but rumors as of yet, and Matt DiBenedetto may end up without a NASCAR seat when the season starts as well.

DiBenedetto had said that he was “exploring all options in all series,” when he bid farewell to the Rackley W.A.R team. After Wood Brothers Racing went with Harrison Burton in the No. 21 Ford for the 2022 Cup season, DiBenedetto signed up for the Truck Series. That year, he earned his first NASCAR win at the national level at Talladega Superspeedway, which was Rackley’s first win as a team as well.

The report from Motorsports.com also mentions the other driver who is guaranteed to start is A. J. Allmendinger, who will compete in the 2024 Daytona 500. One thing to note here is that A. J. Allmendinger shocked the world last season when he won at Charlotte Roval. This means that, with the right driver, the Kaulig cars are capable of challenging for wins. This further again means that it is a fantastic opportunity for the driver who has even driven for Joe Gibbs Racing in Xfinity.

Speaking of Xfinity, DiBenedetto was linked to a couple of teams from the series. Unfortunately, neither of those rumors turned out to be true, and DiBenedetto was left scratching his head.

Former Cup Series driver struggles to find part-time NASCAR roles

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The two teams in question were AM Racing and DGM Racing. The former recently made a big-name signing as they secured the services of Hailie Deegan for a full-time role in 2024. The team still has open seats in Xfinity and Truck Series, but if recent reports are to be believed, Matt DiBenedetto will not be filling either of them.

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The DGM Racing rumors also turned out to be false, as the team recently revealed that Josh Bilicki would be driving the #92 Xfinity Series car part-time. Bilicki’s schedule is yet to be released, but it has been confirmed that he will take part in the season-opening Daytona race.

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The Kaulig Racing deal can be extremely crucial for the California native, DiBenedetto. Since it could be his last chance to land a seat in NASCAR on any team, all he and his fans can do is hope for the best.

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Written by:

Nilavro Ghosh

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Shivali Nathta