Last year as a 15-year-old, Matt DiBenedetto got the chance to take on the World's Fastest Half-Mile in a UARA event and the experience was something he'll never forget.
"It was just so amazing," said the Hickory, N.C. resident who will compete in the July 5 Thompson Metal 150 UARA event at Bristol Motor Speedway. "It was such a blast and so much quicker than all the other Late Model tracks I'd been to. It's just breathtaking. Really, it's a whole lot like a roller coaster - and I love roller coasters."
Although he competed in two UARA events at BMS last summer and ran well, DiBenedetto wasn't able to find his way to victory lane. This past May, however, he used his past experiences on the half-mile oval to help him capture his first Bristol win, something he says he'll never forget.
"That was my best win ever, no doubt about it," he said. "I was so excited after that race that I almost lost my voice I was yelling so much. That's the one I'll remember forever, over all of them."
DiBenedetto, who was born in California but moved to North Carolina four years ago, started racing go-karts as a seven-year-old. Since then he's competed in Legends, Pro 4-Cylinder and Limited Late Models before moving up to Late Models last year. In a nearly 10-year span, he's already racked up approximately 300 wins with five of those coming in Late Model action.
He credits his new team, West Racing, which is based in Marshall, N.C., for this year's success. Already in 2008, he's taken three checkered flags and feels many more victories are on the horizon.
"I've got a great team," he said. "These guys won there last year with Mark Setzer driving for them so they have a pretty good feel for Bristol. This is the best team I've been with so I feel like we've got a chance to win every time we hit the track."
Not surprisingly, DiBenedetto has his sights set on a career in NASCAR.
"Oh yeah, of course, that's where I want to be, that's what I want to do," he said. "I keep in contact with some of the bigger team owners with email and stuff. I'm just pushing along, trying to get to the next stop. It's tough but it is my goal."
Right now the goal is another win at Bristol and DiBenedetto feels good about his chances on Saturday.
"I feel like I've got a real good shot at it," he said. "There are other good cars too but we're running well and really, I just love that place. I feel like I've got a great chance to come out of there with another win."
The Saturday Spectacular kicks off with a 25-lap Pro Challenge race, followed by a 15-lap Charger event. The Thompson Metal 150 UARA Stars will then take to the track. The finale on the track is the Trailer Race before fireworks light up the sky to cap the evening.
Bristol Motor Speedway will feature an incredible display of fireworks after an action-packed evening at The World's Fastest Half-Mile. The spectacular fireworks presentation will have a patriotic theme and WQUT FM 101.5 also will simulcast the fireworks show with synchronized music to add to the experience.
General admission tickets are available for $15 for adults. Children 12 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult. A pit pass also is available for $35. No one under the age of 15 will be admitted into the pits.
Gates open at 6 p.m. For more information, please call the BMS ticket office at 423-989-6900.
