Matt DiBenedetto will take to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway on Sunday (Feb. 17) to kick off his era with Leavine Family Racing. But the LFR organization is starting a new era itself with a new manufacturer for them: Toyota.
Entering its ninth season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019, the organization has a fresh start as it looks to put an inconsistent past behind it.
In the past nine years, LFR has rotated through multiple teams and manufacturers. It’s had three major partnerships in its first eight years with Roush Fenway Racing, Team Penske and Richard Childress Racing. It’s hoping a fourth change will finally be the charm that turns it from fringe team to yearly playoff contender.
What’s the difference thus far? Leavine noted during the manufacturer press conference at Daytona International Speedway on Friday (Feb. 15) that it’s being treated like an actual partner despite its single-car status, instead of an afterthought.
“We’ve actually gotten help this time,” Leavine said. “They are interested in us as a team and not just as somebody getting racecars. I say that in a kind-of-sort-of way, but I’ve been there and done that and I’ve seen it firsthand. Jeremy [Lange], our VP, and I, when we first started talking to Toyota in March of last year, we’d go away from meetings and look at each other and say these people really care about making our race team better.
“It’s the same with Coach [Joe] Gibbs [owner]. We talked to Toyota and then we started talking with Coach Gibbs, in fact, I think it was the weekend of the 600. We first started talking with them and it was the same feeling that they cared about helping us help ourselves and making our race team. The perspective and the attitude and then, also, Toyota is the best manufacturer in NASCAR. We watched it for years and said we want to be there. That is what made us go to them and say we want to be with them.”
Heading into Sunday’s Daytona 500, LFR has 184 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Last season, the team tied its organization-best finish of fourth in the July race at Daytona with Kasey Kahne. A high-profile signing after being released from Hendrick Motorsports, hopes were high Kahne would grow LFR. But the organization failed to improve upon Michael McDowell’s average finish from the previous season; Kahne himself retired before the end of the year due to health issues.
With the change to Toyota during the offseason, LFR has big shoes to fill. It replaces Furniture Row Racing at Toyota as JGR’s major satellite operation. FRR grew into a championship caliber team with JGR’s help, winning the title in 2017 and contending for another before sponsorship woes forced a shutdown.
The LFR organization grabbed DiBenedetto from Go FAS Racing, a driver who has been building his own career with smaller teams. He’ll look to grab the best possible finish in his debut with the affiliation and is off to a solid start with a fourth-place finish in Thursday’s Gander RV Duel qualifier at Daytona.
About the author
His favorite tracks on the circuit include Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, and Bristol Motor Speedway.
During the season, Christian also spends time as a photographer with multiple other outlets shooting Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Minor League & Major League Baseball, and NCAA Football.
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I have no doubt that the Gibbs organization will be helpful, but I do wonder how much that help costs? One of the things mentioned when Furniture Row closed was the price increase Gibbs charged (or would charge) Furniture Row for their alliance.
I am also surprised Leavine was not more diplomatic when comparing Gibbs to his prior alliance partners. There are ways to be effusive about Toyota and Gibbs without being critical (implied or otherwise) of prior partners (teams are always looking for sponsors – I am sure there are sponsors that avoid teams that publicly complain about whatever).
Dibennedetto and Jeffry Earnhardt are two of the most underrated drivers in NASCAR. Prior to this past year I’d have lumped Ross Chastain in there too but I’m pretty sure everyone involved in the sport knows what he’s capable of with a decent car now. I’m glad we’ll get to see what the other two can do in equipment capable of going fast. Leavine isn’t on equal footing to Furniture Row though so I hope people don’t directly compare Matt to Truex. Truex and Cole Pearn were basically JGR teammates who just happened to prepare their car on Colorado. Leavine purchased a lower level partnership and his crew wont be sitting in JGR meetings and debreifs and engineering discussions etc….but they will receive technical support far beyond just buying premade cars like the Childress partner teams get.