Matt DiBenedetto Earns UARA-Stars Melling Select Rookie of the Year Title in 2007

          Hickory, NC – 16 year old Matt DiBenedetto from Hickory, NC caps off the 2007 UARA-Stars season with the Melling Select Rookie of the Year Crown.  Matt finished the season with 2 victories, 6 top 5’s and 11 top 10’s with an average qualifying position of 7.1 and averaged a finishing position of 9.1 earning top rookie of the race 10 times in his first full season behind the wheel of a Late Model Stock car.

          When the UARA-Stars season began back in March 2007 and Matt had all of one, yes just one Late Model Stock car race under his belt.  Matt made his debut in a Late Model Stock car October 2006 for the annual Fall Brawl at the Hickory Motor Speedway.  Matt raced with the leaders all day even lead for 6 laps late in the event before being spun by the second place car but still scored a solid 4^th place finish.  It was very clear that Matt had the raw talent, patience and maturity to compete in the Late Model Stock car division.        Hickory Motor Speedway served as Matt’s home track from 2004 thru 2006.  Matt raced in the Legends division and in the pro 4 division at 14 years old in 2004.  Matt graduated to the Pro 4 division full time in 2005 where he raced to a track championship posting 15 victories in 16 events.  Matt joined the Limited Late Model division in 2006 and once again earned the track championship for that division and was voted most popular driver as well.  During the off season following the 2006 season Matt and his family had some decisions to make.  At Hickory the Pro 4 division, Limited Late Model division, Bobby Isaac Memorial and the Fall Brawl did not race under the NASCAR banner.  However, the Late Model Stock car weekly division did race under the NASCAR banner with the age limit set at 16 years old to be eligible to compete.  Matt would be 15 years old at the beginning of the 2007 racing season.

          With each stage of Matt’s racing career brought new challenges for Tony and Sandy DiBenedetto (Matt’s Parents) even though racing had been a way of life since Matt began competing with karts at 7 years old.  With each higher level of racing divisions meant higher budgets would have to go with it.  Mr. DiBenedetto felt confident he could scrape enough to race Late Models at a track not sanction by NASCAR but would that be in the best interest to further Matt’s racing career.  That’s when the thoughts of joining the UARA-Stars Late Model tour started to emerge.  Mr. DiBenedetto like all fathers just wanted to provide the very best opportunity for his son so, he put together a modest budget not knowing if they could make all of the events but in March of 2007 they loaded up the trailer and headed just down the road from his home to the Hickory Motor Speedway for race number 1 to compete in the UARA-Stars touring series with a yellow stripe on the rear bumper.  Things went very well at his UARA-Stars debut as he qualified 4^th out of 44 cars and posted a 5^th place finish and quickly gained the attention of the UARA-Stars regulars.

          Concord Motorsports Park located in Concord, NC would host the series for round 2 and even more success would greet the DiBenedetto’s. Matt led just about every category throughout the day.  Matt posted the fast time of the 39 cars that tried to qualify for the event.  In just his 3^rd start in a Late Model Stock car and his 2^nd start in the UARA-Stars Matt went on to win the race from the pole leading 120 laps of the scheduled 150.  Matt now became more than just a racing novelty with a strange last name.  Matt was now looked upon as the overall points leader and someone the competition needed to take very serious.

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Over the next stretch of 6 events Matt would qualify no lower than 11^th and posted finishing positions of 12^th at Southern National, 4^th at Tri-County, 16^th at Shenandoah Speedway, due to a battery failure, 26^th at Coastal Plains Raceway after suffering mechanical failure.  Matt rebounded nicely with a 6^th place finish at Ace Speedway and a 4^th place finish at the Dillon Motor Speedway. At this point in the season Matt had earned top rookie of the race 5 times placing him as top contender for the Melling Select Rookie of the Year at the half way point of the season.     

          The next two events on the schedule for the UARA-Stars were to be held at the most famous short track on the planet, the Bristol Motor Speedway.   Bristol #1 would be hassled by rain all day so the series was forced to start by points which placed Matt 4^th on the starting grid.  Matt was collected up in a hard crash as an innocent bystander on lap 23 ending his day and would post a 29^th place finish.  Matt would enjoy a much better event at Bristol #2, qualifying 16^th and finishing 8^th.    

          Down the final stretch run Matt remained focused and continued to turn in impressive performances at tracks he has never seen before.  Race #11 was held at Newport Speedway located in TN and Matt qualified 10^th and finished 3^rd.  The series returned to Tri-County Speedway for race #12 where Matt qualified 13^th and finished 7^th.

          Fast Franklin County Speedway located in Callaway, VA would be the next stop for the series and Matt qualified 4^th. Matt ran among the leaders all night long even though his car developed a miss in the power plant.  As laps were winding down Matt was running 3^rd and decided to lay back from the intense battle of the two cars that were fighting for the lead.  That move paid off huge dividends as the 1^st and 2^nd place cars tangled in turn 4 with one car sent to the back of the pack after spinning and the other was blacked flagged for aggressive driving.  Matt now leading with only a green, white, checkered flag finish between Matt and victory lane.  Matt was strong on the restart and never looked back bringing home victory #2 on the season.               

          The UARA-Stars would next visit the Greenville-Pickens Speedway located in SC where Matt qualified 5^th and finished 6^th. Matt and the series would then make a return trip to the Concord Motorsports Park and Matt had high hopes of repeating his winning performance.  Matt experienced a roller coaster of a day filled with highs and lows.  Matt would qualify nicely in 3^rd but after being shoved into the car in front of him on a restart severely effecting the car’s handling, posted a 16^th place finish.  However, Matt all but locked up the Melling select Rookie of the year following this event and only needed to start the final event to make it official.

          The final event of the 2007 season for the UARA-Stars was hosted by the Caraway Speedway located just outside Asheboro, NC.  Matt ran times during practice that placed him somewhere in the middle of the chart.  His Chassis builder Greg Marlowe and crew chief Bill Lett collaborated and made wholesale changes to the car before qualifying and Matt posted the 4^th fastest time.  Sparks flew at the drop of the green flag as the two cars on the front row collided going into turn one on the first lap with Matt narrowly missing the cars literally by millimeters.  The race was caution filled but Matt found his groove any way racing in 2^nd place for most of the event.  A few cars challenged for position but Matt remained patient reclaiming his 2^nd position from all challengers.  On a late restart with only a hand full of laps remaining Matt went for the lead but would come up just a little short and finished 2^nd. During the remaining 6 events Matt earned top rookie of the race 5 times.

          During the 2007 UARA-Stars season 16 year old Matt DiBenedetto captured the hearts of fans and earned the respect from short track aces through out the eastern region plus several Nextel Cup Team owners were said to have been keeping an watch full eye on Matt as well.  Matt DiBenedetto’s racing career is in full swing and his UARA-Stars Melling Select Rookie of the Year title is just the beginning.  Be sure to visit www.mattdracing.com  to follow the career path of a proven winner, Matthew Guido DiBenedetto.

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UARA-Stars Melling Select Rookie of the Year Winning Team:

Driver: Matt DiBenedetto

Parents: Tony & Sandy DiBenedetto

Hometown: Grass Valley, CA

Resides: Hickory, NC

Home Track: Hickory Motor Speedway, Hickory, NC

Chassis Builder: Greg Marlowe

Engine Builder: Danny Cox, Alan Johnson

Crew: Bill Lett, Wayne Whaley, J.P. Egbert, Kevin Dill, David Laws, Brandon Laws

Sponsors: Bad Boy Mowers/Corriher Implements, Texas Roadhouse, Hickory Auto Group, Checkers Burgers & Fries, Sendroff Chiropractic Center, Richardson Racing Products, Kawasaki/Yamaha of Hickory, Rick’s Auto Graphics, Hickory Tavern, Mountain View Market, Lagunas Printing House, State Farm Insurance/Lisa Forte’, EPW Communications, Black Diamond Collision Center.