MATT DIBENEDETTO DISQUALIFIED AFTER NEW HAMPSHIRE XFINITY SERIES RACE

Unfortunate news for Matt DiBenedetto. The No. 38 car was disqualified from the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire. DiBenedetto had three loose lug nuts on one of his wheels and that resulted in a DQ.

NASCAR sees loose lug nuts as a safety issue. One or two loose and you can get by on a fine. If there are three loose, that becomes a disqualification. It is a rule that the sanctioning body follows closely.

Racing for RSS Racing/Viking Motorsports, DiBenedetto has had bright spots. P8 at Talladega, P7 at Iowa. He was P17 today before the disqualification. All three lugs were on the right rear wheel.

When the season started, Matt DiBenedetto did not have a ride. At all. Not in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, or Cup Series. Let’s not forget that this is a driver who took Wood Brothers Racing to the playoffs in the Cup Series.

He won a race and took Rackley WAR to the playoffs in the Truck Series as well. This season, he hasn’t had the best equipment or results. But he is getting the most out of his car each and every week and that matters for a small team like this one.

The disqualification is a bit of a gut punch. Today was not an easy race. Earning that top-20 finish was a big deal. In fact, it would have been his third-best finish of the season had the result held up.

Instead, DiBenedetto and Viking Motorsports are going home empty-handed. P38 on the afternoon.

Matt DiBenedetto DQ, Christopher Bell triumph

For the fourth time in his career, Christopher Bellis a winner at New Hampshire in the Xfinity Series. He has won every start he has had at the track in the series. It bodes well for his chances on Sunday in the Cup Series, though.

Post-race inspection cleared Bell as the winner. Matt DiBenedetto got the bad end of the stick here. The highs and lows of motorsports, folks. Disqualifications are not what any team wants, big or small.

As for Bell, it was a great day. A dominant day, even. Cole Custer was more or less the only driver that was going to beat Bell at New Hampshire today. In overtime on the final restart, he put on display why he’s in the Cup Series to begin with.

Christopher Bell got the best of Custer and Sheldon Creed at the end of the race today. New Hampshire always has a little magic for Bell. DiBenedetto is going to be wondering where his own magic went this weekend.

The post Matt DiBenedetto disqualified after New Hampshire Xfinity Series race appeared first on On3.

2024-06-23T00:33:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd