NASCAR
DiBenedetto primed for breakout NASCAR season
With the Daytona 500 approaching, WRAL's Chris Lea spoke with NASCAR driver Matt DiBenedetto, who made the playoffs in 2020 after a strong second half to the season.
I wanted to talk about just kind of the off season. Um, NASCAR When I spoke to a few guys last year, NASCAR was basically the first, um, you know, major sports organization that figured out how to run with Kobe. 19 happening. You guys stop for a little bit and came back with the off season. Now, you guys have basically a year under your belt with cove it and all that. What have you done for the off season? And And how do you think this season will be able to run smoothly now that NASCAR has had that year under his belt to know how to run in this type of climate? Yeah, man, NASCAR honestly proved that they can adapt to just about anything on the fly, so that was pretty unbelievable. And I think, um, you just kind of naturally expect the worst, Especially when something, you know, crazy like code of 19. All this stuff has happened. Thank you. I'm like, All right. When's it gonna go wrong or whether we're not gonna be a whole race or do it all but man, everyone at NASCAR. I don't envy them for how hard they had to work. But we, uh man, we tackle this group, everybody was so on the same page. So that's just a race And get our season, you know, complete our season. Uh, that man, everyone was willing to do whatever they had to do. And we adapted and did no practice. Just showed up to the track, you know, on race and went back home, and we put on Agra shows. So so, yeah, you know, this year's especially is gonna be gonna be awesome. We've proven that we can adapt, overcome and do whatever is necessary. And everyone did an incredible job. Is there something that you and your team what brothers have done to kind of change things? Not just on the on the racing track, but how you guys kind of go about, uh, you know, navigating Kobe 19 and all that in the off season to make sure that you're you're better. Uh, this season, when it comes out down to that, yeah, we have changed, you know, had to change a lot because, you know, I wasn't able to go to the shop and do the normal communication in person that we would do so I had to work on just what worked for us. A Sfar as a lot of virtual communication things. So we're still talking and having all that time talking together, prepping for every race weekend over the off season. Stay in touch, doing the same thing. Eso really we? It's just been a transition to a lot more virtual things, which is different for me because I'm kind of in person type of guy. I've always been, but you can, you know, we can adapt Thio anything. And then, like a guy, I think I might've been talking about the second half of last year. We were really rolling and just clicked as a team. So, um, having that moment, um, toe where we really navigated everything throughout the season and and we clicked and we were executing and running up from contending for winds top tens, you know, all the time having that moment. I'm starting off this year on everything we overcame last year. Being a new group working together, I think we're gonna have a really, I think this could be our best year ever. By far. It's like you looked at my questions ahead of time because you just rolled right into, like, my next question. So with this being your second year with your team on then you guys, you know, like you said you guys were rolling. If you guys put together an entire year of what you did in the back half of last season, what do you think you guys get end up at the end of this upcoming season? Yeah, You know, last year we are Our goal is to make the playoffs. That was going number one, and we did that. But then we started climbing up in the points that the the second half of the season because we were performing much better than just a just a making the playoffs car. You know, we were contending, contending for winds and running up front, but it just took us a little bit. If I'm being honest, it just took us a bit Thio to really mesh and figure each other out, make the most of our races. And with no practice the team figuring out what I need I liked certain different fields in my race car. Then you know others and it just took time. But now that we have all that under our belt and really figured all that stuff out. I think this year our goals will be much higher. I don't know where exactly put him, but it would be much higher than just making the playoffs. You know, it be we want to contend all the way down to the end And we know we have the speed in the race cars on the group to do it and we meshed on we click. So a lot of good moment, Um, that's gonna, I think, give us a super successful year. What is it about the chemistry between you and this particular team that has, you know, allowed you to, you know, pretty much have the best season that you've had. And now you're heading into a new season with a chance Thio even build further upon that. Yeah, Yeah, I feel like we were just getting started last year, and the important things to me are driving for the wood brothers. Anybody that knows them personally, you know, there they are family. Tow us. And when you drive for them, you're part of their family. And and what's most important is they have your back so much and they support you so much to where it just makes you comfortable and excited to go and do your job and kick butt. And when people have confidence in you, you know that gives you extra confidence to to just go out there and do your job and kick butt. So and obviously I have all the confidence in the world of my team and you're nothing without all those guys around yourself. Um, yeah, it's driving the 21 car super special, and it's Ah, this year is, I think, the best opportunity of my life to go out there and for us toe really kick butt. And for me personally, you know, continue, uh, establishing myself in the Cup series, hopefully as a winner this year and doing all that's just gonna be great for for my future in the sport. Even, you know, uh, beyond when I'm driving the 21 car, since this is my last year in that car. But it Zenit's a heck of an honor driving the 21 as, um, excuse me as someone who is, uh, you know, seems like you're a lifelong racing fan. in our current driver. You know, you always want to start off hot. What does Daytona mean to you? You look ahead and you know you're gonna be on that historic track and driving a historic race. What does that mean to you personally? Yeah. I mean, any time you're driving, competing in the Daytona 500 it's crazy because I you know, I remember just being a kid when I was 567 years old, all the way. You know, growing up, Andi, I was like, my favorite day. I look forward to, uh, shoot. I don't know when I was a kid, I don't know if I look forward to Daytona 500 day or Christmas dame or, you know, that's how much it meant to me and how much I look forward to it. So on and then driving the 21 car in it is just it makes it so special. You don't forget, I I personally don't forget those things and how cool it is and how much it means toe compete in it and have a, you know, shot toe. Win it. Having such a good fast race car behind me and everyone knows the Fords. Andrea appreciates power under the hood. All that stuff makes our cars run really, really well with those types of tracks. So it's Ah, it's special for sure. And hopefully, hopefully we can start season off strong. Um, outside of Daytona. What are some of the other tracks that you're looking forward? Thio This season, whether it's a track you want to do better at or attract that, maybe you did really good at last year and you're looking forward to getting back there because you feel like, you know, that's that's, ah, place that you could be really strong. What are you looking forward to this season? You know, our race cars were really fast on a lot of the mile and a half, which actually prior to that was probably my biggest weakness. I don't know if the driver just, you know, the teams I was with prior with those were probably our biggest struggle. So moving on the 21 just cars had so much speed, we were really good. Those we were really fast on the short tracks. Our cars had tremendous speed. Um, you know, so I would say our biggest weakness was there are road course program. We were just missing something there on DSO. We've, you know, gone hard at work over the offseason, talking about that, a lot of how to improve that. So I'm looking forward to the opportunity this year with more road courses than I've ever been on the schedule for us to try and redeem ourselves that the road courses because I feel like that's one of my biggest strength as a driver, his road course racing. And that part was a little tough last year on me mentally because I was like, Oh man, those what I look forward to in love So this year, we've got hard work at that and I think that will be a great chance to go out and show as a team. How much we can improve and work on any weakness we have is a program, and then just finally just you as a person. What do you like to do on the off season's toe? Make sure that you're physically and mentally in the best shape possible toe. Start off a long, grueling season, you know? How do you feel? Like you're better a to this point this year than what you were at this point last year. Yeah. You know, I, uh I always I think the older I get, the better I am at just about everything. You know, you mature and you realize what's important. And I focused on everything that's just in my control. Um, yeah, Over the off season I enjoy, you know, I have passion for fitness. So I enjoy training, working out. I've been kind of doing a little my own program lately and functional strength training, basically, um, and some good conditioning. So I was doing CrossFit. I'll drop in there with my wife. Do CrossFit stuff still on? Mix that in And that's part of my foundation of my stuff. But a lot of strength, functional strength training would be the foundation. But enjoy that. I have a passion for cars, car culture. So, you know, I love meeting up with some friends and that's having a little car meat, things like that. And I like to be outside place from disc golf. So really, those things kind of, you know, hanging with my wife and my dog Brian s O. That that kind of summed up my off season. I'm a pretty low key guy. Is the dog named Brian because of Family guy? Yep. Yes, yes, he's, uh, yeah, he's cool. He's a rescue dog on he. Uh, yeah, he's He's pretty big. He's his coat is he's white in color and he's a male dog. So I was like, Oh, man, Brian, that's awesome.