ELKHART LAKE, Wisc.: The phone hasn’t been exactly been ringing off the hook for Matt DiBenedetto with a job offer for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season but on the heels of his career-best second-place finish last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, DiBenedetto is determined to have a positive outlook on the future and embrace what’s left of his tenure at Leavine Family Racing.
“A lot of texts, phone calls and then just media stuff and radio stuff. It was cool. And social media stuff blowing up,” DiBenedetto said Friday morning at Road America.
“The attention and support we got from fans in general, that was unreal. The crowd cheering when I was about to get interviews on the big screen, everybody screaming, the whole place, I was like, is there a fight going on or something? What’s happening. I didn’t know what was going on. And then I was like, oh, that’s for us. I couldn’t believe it. I could barely get words out.
“I was shocked.”
Two days after announcing to the world that he would not return to the team for a second season in 2020, DiBenedetto put on a thrilling performance that came up 11 laps short of his first career Cup win – losing to Joe Gibbs Racing’ teammate Denny Hamlin.
“That’s been the cool part this year,” he continued. “I’ve had the opportunity to be with a good team and really good people. Working with ‘Wheels,’ (Mike Wheeler), that’s been cool to see how he’s implemented his whole process in our team. So that’s why our performance has gotten better. I know we’ve been on a little roll, is because of everything in the shop’s been going smoother.
“That’s been my main focus this year because I have such good people and cars to go out the performing go out and do more of my talking than have to network and stuff. Just go focus on my driving, perform, and that’s basically the theme for the rest of the year.
“If you out there and we can keep doing these top-fives, top-10s, we were so close to a win last week we could sneak a win off. (If) we could keep doing that stuff, that’ll help my career more than me just going and doing the networking side of it.”
DiBenedetto will have an opportunity to be in the limelight again as Joe Gibbs Racing tapped the Calif. native to drive the team’s No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at the 4.0-mile Road America road course.
“(Winning) This one would be fun,” he added. “When I got the phone call I was jumping up and down, I was so excited. I was praying when I saw Steve de Souza was calling me. I was like, pleeeeeeease be calling to ask me about Road America.
“I had sent an email to him at the beginning of the year inquiring about this — I didn’t know the situation; the seat was filled at the time – so that was cool. I’m glad I did that. Any opportunity to go try to win is good. Winning is good. That’s good for your career and for the team and for Toyota, for everybody. But what I’m trying to do, it’s a hell of an opportunity.
“Not only an opportunity to come and have fun at one of my favorite places – and road course are my favorite thing to do, period – but to come and try to win is a great opportunity to try and build my resume.”
Without a definite plan for 2020, DiBenedetto hopes to be back in Cup and plans to do what he does, going to the race track every week and leave nothing on the table.
“I don’t know. I think so,” explained DiBenedetto about returning to Cup in 2020. “I just feel that way. I can’t see the future right now. I hope it doesn’t sound naïve but every time a door has closed, and I’ve been absolutely devastated, every time in my whole life going back to a kid, it’s always opened a better door.
“I don’t expect it to stop now just because we’ve been lucky enough to have that good performance and I’ve been able to prove myself and we’ve been able to prove ourselves as a team more this year than I’ve ever been able to do. I hope it works out. I feel it will.”
While DiBenedetto hasn’t’ received any requests from team owners concerning next year, his phone has been flooded with messages and talks from other drivers which has been encouraging.
“No (owners), but I’ve got a lot of nice texts and things from drivers. I’m hoping it will happen but I’m just trying to pursue anything and everything right now. You know drivers can be your best advocates. So, it was nice for a lot of drivers to reach out to me this week and I reached out to some as well.”
When it comes to exploring opportunities in other series full-time DiBenedetto doesn’t want to get discouraged as taking a step back could really affect his career.
“I don’t know…,” sounded DiBenedetto about running in Xfinity next season. “I have to look at all options and be open to everything. My priority is winning in Cup. It’s an interesting time or year or situation for me.
“That’s kind of the priority is winning in the Cup Series, because I’m a firm believer in always climbing the ladder. It’s a very touchy situation if you take a step back. It can really affect your career.
I don’t think it’s actually an option for me. I don’t think there’s room for me in that (Joe Gibbs Racing) camp or car. I think, being just totally open about my situation, as of right now I don’t think there’s an opportunity for me. I think the seats are filled per my understanding.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
