A couple of weeks ago on the “Street Knowledge” podcast, we told you about NASCAR driver Matt DiBenedetto, saying to the media following his finish in a recent NASCAR race that he was racing for his future in the driver’s seat.
Well, despite four top top-10 finishes in the past eight races and a career best 23rd in points, DiBenedetto is now out as the driver for Leavine Family Racing.
From one perspective, DiBenedetto’s best wasn’t good enough for a small race team in NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup Series.
DiBenedetto was in the first year of driving for the family run organization headed by Bob and Sharon Leavine. The Leavine Family Racing website states that LFR “is an organization competing in the NASCAR’s top series focused on growing competitively and providing results-driven partnerships for its sponsors.”
The single-car team was founded in 2011.
DiBenedetto called it “devastating news” in social media posts on Thursday after he was told he would not be brought back for a second season with the NASCAR team in 2020.
In the statement, the organization called DiBenedetto “a talented young driver.” Leavine Family Racing is currently aligned with Joe Gibbs Racing.
It is widely believed that Xfinity Series driver Christopher Bell will move into the driver’s seat of a JGR car, replacing Erik Jones in 2020, with Jones moving to Leavine. DiBenedetto is likely to be a candidate for Front Row Motorsports’ No. 38 Ford.
The 38 car driver, David Ragan, announced mid-week that he will not drive full-time after this season.
With all of this recent action, it further strengthens the theory that NASCAR Silly Season is upon us.
Grab a scorecard, legal pad and plenty of pencils; this could be wild year of shuffling in NASCAR driver seats, much like the action on the short tracks.
By Rod Mullins | Augusta Free Press
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Chris Graham
