Matt DiBenedetto is out of both the No. 21 and No. 2 cars ahead of the 2022 season

By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer

If anyone is shocked that Matt DiBenedetto is out of a ride for the 2022 season at the moment, here’s something to note: He has been out of a ride for 2022 since October 2020.

That’s when Team Penske announced that Austin Cindric would replace DiBenedetto in the Wood Brothers Racing car, giving DiBenedetto more than a year’s notice that he most likely would be out.

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Penske still had an option on DiBenedetto for 2022, and with Brad Keselowski being a free agent, there was always a bit of hope in the DiBenedetto camp that he might be able to stay. When news broke in May that Keselowski would leave for Roush Fenway Racing after the season, there was more than a bit of hope.

But DiBenedetto was in one of those situations where he had not won a race, was running worse overall than the other Penske drivers and couldn’t seem to get over the hump of the playoff bubble. Some would point to crew chief Greg Erwin as the problem, noting that DiBenedetto has had a surge in the past month under new crew chief Jonathan Hassler.

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But DiBenedetto had a surge last year under Erwin, too. And it wasn’t a matter of it being too little, too late. It was a matter of being too late. The decision likely had already been made.

Harrison Burton will now replace him in the No. 21 car at Wood Brothers Racing, and Cindric will go straight to Team Penske’s No. 2 car in place of Keselowski.

"It’s OK to be angry and pissed off and bitter and all of the above," DiBenedetto said in a social media video. "It just is what it is."

Now, no one should expect Burton next year to match what DiBenedetto has done. While Burton does have four Xfinity wins – all in 2020 – and sits fifth in the standings driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, he has one Cup race of experience.

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With the introduction of the Next Gen car in Cup in 2022, the hope is that lack of experience won’t mean as much.

"We felt that’s a good time to bring in a rookie, and so we made this decision we could bring a young rookie in who could team up with Austin, and those two guys could work together and develop themselves into great race-car drivers," Wood Brothers co-owner Eddie Wood said.

Burton also has some sponsors, including a long relationship with Dex Imaging, which also has a deep relationship with Team Penske as well as the Penske-owned Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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DiBenedetto, who turns 30 later this month, has 233 career Cup starts with eight top-5 finishes. This is his seventh full-time season and third with a team that has a strong alliance with one of the sport’s top programs.

He has done enough to get another chance, but the reality is that there are two drivers coming from Xfinity in Cindric and Burton, and they have to replace two drivers currently driving for the 36 charter teams.

It doesn’t appear there will be a better ride out there for DiBenedetto. If 23XI Racing expands to two cars, that seat likely goes to Kurt Busch. If that happens, Ross Chastain likely has the best shot at Trackhouse.

Erik Jones, who has won Cup races, is also waiting to see whether his option will be picked up by Richard Petty Motorsports, which could sell the charter currently being used by Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 car.

Kaulig Racing and GMS Racing have openings for Cup rides, but both could also be part-time efforts (Kaulig’s being potentially a shared ride with AJ Allmendinger).

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Depending on how those situations shake out, DiBenedetto could emerge as a candidate. Right now, he’s a possibility but doesn’t appear penciled into any ride. One of the reasons: He doesn’t bring sponsorship.

Could another team be bought out completely like Chip Ganassi Racing? It can’t be ruled out. People are making offers, but so far, none has been the one like Ganassi got from Trackhouse. JTG Daugherty Racing owner Tad Geschickter and Richard Childress Racing owner Richard Childress both have indicated they have no plans to sell.

But RPM? Front Row Motorsports? Will Rick Ware sell more charters or any of the other teams struggling for performance sell their charters? Will Spire buy another charter? Will another owner come in from outside the sport?

All of that could impact whether DiBenedetto has a ride and where it might be for DiBenedetto next season.

The best bet for DiBenedetto would be to continue to talk to people but be patient. And remember what is mentioned at the start of this piece: It wasn’t until October of last year that he had his situation settled for the following season.

Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!