MADISON, Ill. – Front-runners face perils of their own to open the door for others to gain track position for solid finishes in Saturday’s Toyota 200.
Matt DiBenedetto was one who extended his top-10 streak in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series by finishing in sixth.
“Turned out to be a good solid day,” “We made the very most of our truck with that sixth place finish and getting the stage points. That was pretty well maximized. The team did a good job, Chad (Kendrick, crew chief) did a good job. We were able to make a good run out of it.
“We’ve got two good races coming up: Nashville and Mid-Ohio. Hopefully we can win one so we don’t have to worry about the points, because it is tight.”
Pit strategy gave his team much needed stage points when he finished fifth in Stage 1, giving him the edge over his competitors fighting on the bubble of the Playoffs. After Darlington Raceway, the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet was 20 points below the Playoff cut line. DiBenedetto now sits seven points to the good as the final seed with just four races left in the regular season.
He knows the key is aggressive and focused consistency.
“A third, a sixth, an eighth, we’ve found good consistency. I’m proud of the team, and my pit crew is doing a great job. They’re such an integral part of this. Chevy has really been helping our team grow. It’s neat to see the team coming together, executing, having smooth races and making the most of our stuff.
“We want to win one obviously, but we’re having good consistency as a team.”
What better way for DiBenedetto to earn his second career victory at the race of his sponsor, the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Speedway on July 23.
