Big new came out of Go FAS Racing today, with Matt DiBenedetto becoming the team’s first full-time driver. But there’s more to report as well.
The driver shuffle of the offseason took another turn this week, focusing in on Go FAS Racing and the #32 Ford. Thursday, word came out that Matt DiBenedetto would be the full-time driver for the team in 2017, running in all 36 races. This marks the first time in team history that they will have one driver contest the full slate of events.
DiBenedetto, who previously drove for BK Racing in a total of 68 races in the #83 and #93 Toyota, has a career best finish of sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring. He recently departed the team due to the uncertainty that surrounds their operation heading into 2017.
Of course, the acquisition of DiBenedetto is huge for Go FAS Racing, a team that has languished near the back of the grid since its inception. In 2016, Jeffrey Earnhardt served as their primary driver, while others including Bobby Labonte, Boris Said, Joey Gase, and Dylan Lupton also took turns at the wheel. 2017 will certainly be a step up for the team in driver consistency, something that should sit well with big name sponsors like Can-Am.
The arrival of DiBenedetto was not the only news out of Go FAS Racing for 2017, however. Team officials confirmed that they have leased their charter for the coming premier series season to Wood Brothers Racing and the #21 Ford. In turn, Go FAS Racing is leasing a charter from Richard Petty Motorsports and the #44 Ford. Furthermore, the team has acquired six cars from RPM for use for the 2017 season.
News of these charter shifts confirms that Ryan Blaney and the Wood Brothers team will not miss a race in the new year. On the other hand, the unfortunate side of these move means that Richard Petty Motorsports more than likely will contract to one car for 2017. This means that stretching for a full field of forty in each race of the Cup schedule is even more unlikely, a disappointing development of this offseason.
With the bar rising for 2017 with Go FAS Racing, the team will be looking for improved results over their previous runs. The team will not have to worry about losing their charter after leasing it, since finishing in the bottom three in three seasons can lead to it being revoked. The team can simply focus on putting all their effort into each race, which hopefully can lead to consistent top 25 runs.
What do you think of the move by Matt DiBenedetto to Go FAS Racing? Will the team improve in 2017 or will they continue to be a backmarker? Tell us your predictions for the #32 Ford team in the coming premier series season.
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