Matt DiBenedetto Back With the Wood Brothers in 2021

Matt DiBenedetto Back With the Wood Brothers in 2021
Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #21 Menards/Duracell Ford, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 27, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

After long speculation of whether the famous Wood Brothers would keep Matt DiBenedetto for 2021, Thursday they announced his return. DiBenedetto took over the famed no. 21 Ford at the beginning of 2020, replacing Paul Menard.

Months of questioning and wondering if the popular driver from Grass Valley, CA would have a ride in 2021 came to and end following the release from the Wood Brothers. He has three top five finishes and eight top tens with the team in his first year with the team. This includes a second place finish at Las Vegas in September and nearly winning at Talladega last week. DiBenedetto was able to secure a playoff position in his first year with the team and is now looking to grow on that in 2021.

“It’s such an honor to be able to continue to drive for Wood Brothers Racing and have another year to grow with this organization,” said DiBenedetto. “I am excited to learn from our 2020 notebook and I’m confident that with a full season under our belt and working together as a team, we will produce even better results. I also want to thank Ford Performance and Team Penske for their efforts in making this happen. These types of decisions take a lot of time, as we all know there are a lot of factors in play. All three groups want to make the best decisions for everyone involved and I’m appreciative to have the opportunity to continue to compete for such a legendary race team.”

DiBenedetto has been a force on certain tracks this season and the alliance with Team Penske has certainly helped that. He ran right with the Penske cars during the race at Talladega last week and led the line for that team on the way to the flag.

Co-owner Eddie Wood praised the fan favorite driver on his ability to adjust to the circumstances that 2020 presented. He claims that he only have had a few months where he has been able to work with the team. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and ended all contact with the team at that time.

“Matt has been able to find success this year under very difficult circumstances,” said team President and Co-Owner Eddie Wood. “Since he joined our team, he only had limited time working with our group due to the pandemic. While it’s been an entirely new organization, he found a way to consistently run up front and make the Playoffs. We have learned a lot together this year and we look forward to continuing to build with Matt in 2021.”

Cindric to Drive in 2022

Following the DiBenedetto announcement, the Wood Brothers also added that Austin Cindric would take over driving duties of the 21 in 2022. Cindric is currently a development driver for Ford Performance and Team Penske in the Xfinity Series. His father, Tim Cindric, is also president of Team Penske which allows for the move from Xfinity to Cup easier.

Cindric has the second most victories behind Chase Briscoe heading into the final few races of the season. He sits in second in points and third on the playoff grid as the series heads to the ROVAL. Cindric has won at before.

He will slide into the seat which means DiBenedetto will have to vacate it at the end of 2021. The move was to be expected in the future at some point. Especially since the Cup Series has a total of six road course races on it’s updated schedule. Cindric is the best available road course driver in the Xfinity Series. Cindric’s move to the Cup Series will parallel the addition of the Next Gen car that the series will release in 2022. This now gives DiBenedetto a full year to find a new ride for the 2022 season.

Click here for the full release from the Wood Brothers.