Matt DiBenedetto will return to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford next year in the NASCAR Cup Series, the team announced today, Oct. 8.
It will be his second season driving for the team in the Cup Series.
The team will continue its alliance with Team Penske, along with support from its manufacturer Ford.
“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,” DiBenedetto said in a team release. “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.”
“Matt has been able to find success this year under very difficult circumstances,” team president and co-owner Eddie Wood said. “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 upfront and make the Playoffs. We have learned a lot together this year and we look forward to continuing to build with Matt in 2021.”
The 29-year-old DiBenedetto made the playoffs this season but was eliminated after the Round of 16. He currently has three top fives and eight top 10s, with a season-best finish of second in both races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Overall, DiBenedetto has made 207 starts in the Cup Series, with six top fives and 19 top-10 finishes. In addition to his two runner-up finishes this year, he also finished second in the 2019 Bass Pro Shops / NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
DiBenedetto will drive the No. 21 Ford in 2021, and then Austin Cindric will succeed him in 2022, Team Penske also announced Oct. 8.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.