Why was Matt DiBenedetto disqualified from the Xfinity Series race?

RSS Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto was disqualified after initially finishing P17 in Saturday’s SciAps 200, marking his third-best result of the season. Post-race inspection at New Hampshire Motor Speedway revealed three unsecured lug nuts on the right-rear wheel of his car.

The issue violated Sections 8.8.10.4 [Tires and Wheels] and 10.5.2.5 [Safety Penalties and Penalty Options] of the NASCAR Rule Book for the Xfinity Series. While having one or two unsecured lug nuts typically results in an escalating fine, three or more unsecured lug nuts lead to the loss of the finishing position.

Before this incident; on May 24, Corey Heim faced disqualification for a similar violation after the Truck Series race at Charlotte. According to NASCAR- such violations are considered serious safety concerns.

Matt DiBenedetto had his best start of the season in P10 place for the SciAps 200 race. However, owing to the disqualification, he was dropped to last place in the 38-car field. Although DiBenedetto was already out of the running for the Xfinity Series championship due to not starting all the races, the disqualification pushed the #38 Ford down to P33 in the owner's standings, a fall from what would have been P30.

As per Jayski, the post-race inspections didn't turn up any other issues, affirming Christopher Bell's victory in the overtime stretch of the 203-lap event.

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Matt DiBenedetto's season so far

At the start of the year, Matt DiBenedetto found himself without a ride, despite racing full-time in 2023. His previous season had been with Rackley W.A.R. in the NASCAR Truck Series, but the partnership ended in October 2023. However, Viking Motorsports chose him to pilot the #38 car for a few select Xfinity Series races in March 2024, leading to a more substantial role.

The Grass Valley, California native was later signed to complete the season as the full-time driver for Viking Motorsports, steering the #38 Ford Mustang in collaboration with RSS Racing. During his initial five races with Viking Motorsports, DiBenedetto had three top-20 finishes, including a career-best P8 place at Talladega Superspeedway.

But after, it took DiBenedetto six races to get another top-10 finish, placing P7 at the Hy-Vee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway. Following the New Hampshire race disqualification, DiBenedetto finds himself in 29th place in the driver standings with 162 points.

Matt DiBenedetto's next opportunity to rebound from his recent disqualification comes next Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, the upcoming venue on the Xfinity Series schedule. He has a history at Nashville; in his only previous Xfinity Series start there in 2010, DiBenedetto finished 10th driving the #20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, maintaining an average finish that matches this result.

Additionally, Matt DiBenedetto has competed at Nashville in the Cup Series, finishing 24th in 2021 after starting 11th. His Truck Series record at the track includes finishes of 31st and seventh in 2022 and 2023, respectively.