Wood Brothers Racing announced that Matt DiBenedetto will return to the No. 21 Ford Mustang next year before Austin Cindric will take over the ride in 2022. DiBenedetto is in his first year with Wood Brothers Racing after spending the 2019 season with Leavine Racing. This year, DiBenedetto has three top-five finishes and eight top-ten finishes.
For IMMEDIATE release. Release it far and wide. Wrote a poem about it. Here ‘hit goes: Put on your shoes, Put on your hat.. Take a big deep breath, SURPRISE! We’re keeping MATThttps://t.co/A9GJ9LPoAm — Wood Brothers Racing (@woodbrothers21) October 8, 2020
DiBenedetto expressed his gratitude on returning to Wood Brothers Racing, saying, “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. 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.”
Eddie Wood, team President and Co-Owner of Wood Brothers, on DiBenedetto’s return saying, “Matt has been able to find success this year under very difficult circumstances. 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.”
DiBenedetto will look to get his first career Cup Series win as he starts 20th for this Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 on October 11th at 2:30 pm on NBC.
After the 2021 season, Austin Cindric will take over the Wood Brothers ride for DiBenedetto that was announced by Team Penske after both sides reached a new multi-year contract extension. Team Penske and the Wood Brothers have been in a technical alliance since 2015. As part of the new agreement, Cindric will run full-time in the Xfinity Series and will run selected Cup Series events before competing full-time in the Cup Series in 2022. Cindric is currently in the Xfinity Series playoffs sitting in third-place to go with five wins, seventeen top-five finishes, and twenty-two top-ten finishes.
NEWS: @AustinCindric has signed a multi-year extension with Team Penske. 🚨 In 2021, he will once again race in the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series and make select @NASCAR Cup Series starts. In 2022, he will move to the Cup Series full time. #NASCAR 📰 Story: https://t.co/xpsCemZLAt pic.twitter.com/khwmjtjI4Z — Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 8, 2020
Roger Penske has high hopes for Cindric, saying, “As we continue to position our team for future success, it is important to make sure Austin continues his development in the Xfinity Series with Team Penske. Austin has made great strides in recent years, and he has become a consistent winner and a true championship contender this season. He will continue his natural progression and get some Cup Series experience in 2021. That will help him prepare for a full season in 2022 with the new NextGen car, racing the No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing.”
Austin Cindric, on the move to Wood Brothers in 2022 saying, “This is a big step forward in my career long-term, and I am humbled and motivated by the opportunity and the confidence that Team Penske, Ford Performance, the Wood Brothers, and all of our partners have expressed in my abilities and my development as a driver. Every race car driver wants to advance in his career, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than on a clear path with Team Penske that will eventually lead to a full-time opportunity in the NASCAR Cup Series. I’m really excited for this next chapter in my development to continue working towards competing and trying to win at the highest level. Another season of experience in the Xfinity Series will be beneficial, and I’m looking forward to competing in some Cup Series races in 2021 to prepare for a full season in 2022.”
Cindric will look to get his sixth win of the season when the Xfinity Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in the Drive for the Cure 250 on Saturday, October 10th, at 3:30 pm on NBC.
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