What at first looked like the third best finish of the abbreviated season for Matt DiBenedetto in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has now resulted in a disqualification.
There were three unsecured lug nuts on the right rear of the RSS Racing/Viking Motorsports No. 38 and that is an immediate disqualification. One or two unsecured lug nuts is simply an escalating fine but three or more is the forfeiture of finishing position.
It’s a safety matter in the eyes of the sanctioning body.
DiBenedetto, a polarizing veteran driver who has been out of a ride since being dismissed from the Rackley WAR Truck Series team last August, joined the Viking 38 for the sixth race of the season and has been full-time ever since.
He has a P8 at Talladega and a P7 last week at Iowa and this P17 would have been his third best result for the mid-tier organization. He has a 22.5 average finish, as a reflection of where that program more or less is.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.