By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
TALLADEGA, Ala. – It took a lot of last lap gumption on the Talladega Superspeedway high banks and an official “race finish review” afterward, but longtime competitor Matt DiBenedetto earned his first NASCAR national series race victory in Saturday’s Chevy Silverado 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
Because the race ended under caution, NASCAR officials reviewed video to determine who was leading when an accident froze the field coming to the checkered flag. Ultimately, it marked the first and only lap the former NASCAR Cup Series driver DiBenedetto had ever led in the truck series – and it delivered his first trophy.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship competitor Ben Rhodes was scored runner-up with young rookie – and Alabama native – Bret Holmes in third place.
It marked the fifth consecutive Talladega truck race that the winner led only the last lap.
“Oh man, it’s been such a long time coming,” said the 31-year old Californian DiBenedetto, who recently renewed his contract with the No. 25 Rackley WAR Chevrolet team. “I’m so thankful.
“It just seems so surreal,” DiBenedetto added before offering good wishes to fellow driver Jordan Anderson, who was transported to the hospital after an accident on Lap 19.
“I think my heart rate was higher waiting for that than [taking] the white flag.”
It was a typically competitive afternoon at Talladega – with 11 leaders and 25 lead changes in the 95-lap race – only to end with a dramatic push for the checkered flag in a green-white-checkered overtime finish.
The 25-year old Holmes – the 2020 ARCA Menards Series champion – led the white flag lap and thought he was ahead when the final yellow and checkered flags waved and pulled up to the trophy stand, where DiBenedetto later pulled alongside.
“It definitely showed we deserve to be here,” Holmes said. “Tough to lose that one for sure.”
Ryan Preece and Playoff driver Christian Eckes rounded out the Top-5. Hailie Deegan – the only full-time woman competitor in the series – earned a career best sixth-place finish. Chase Purdy, Colby Howard, Parker Kligerman and Tyler Ankrum rounded out the Top-10.
Anderson, who emerged from a fiery single-truck crash on Lap 19, was transported to a local hospital where he was reported awake and alert.
As for the Playoffs, only two driver championship contenders – Rhodes and Eckes –…
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