Matt DiBenedetto scores maiden NASCAR national victory in chaotic Talladega Trucks

The last time Matt DiBenedetto won a NASCAR race, he was a 19-year-old prospect. Eleven years later, he is back in Victory Lane, albeit under controversial circumstances.

In true Talladega Superspeedway fashion, overtime to Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race was a chaotic affair until hell broke loose coming to the finish with a massive crash that placed DiBenedetto at the front of the pack on one lane opposite Bret Holmes. Although Holmes beat DiBenedetto to the line, the caution flag had come out before they reached the finish to freeze the order, and a length review by NASCAR found DiBenedetto was the leader at that time.

Because the race consequently ended under yellow, DiBenedetto officially did not lead a lap but was granted the win while Holmes was demoted to third behind Ben Rhodes. Overtime had been set up when Carson Hocevar‘s truck stopped on track with less than three laps to go.

It is DiBenedetto’s first win in a NASCAR national series after coming close so many times in the Cup Series prior to his exit after 2021. His only other victories in NASCAR-sanctioned divisions were three in what is now the ARCA Menards Series East in 2009 and 2011, with the last coming at Bowman Gray Stadium on 4 June 2011, a gap of 4,138 days (eleven years, three months, twenty-eight days). His team Rackley WAR also scores their maiden Truck triumph.

Much of the race was overshadowed by a horrific crash on lap 20 when Jordan Anderson‘s truck suffered an engine failure. Anderson was in the process of unbuckling himself and exiting the cockpit while his truck was still in motion, barely escaping before it slammed into the inside wall. He was airlifted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital to be treated for second-degree burns to various parts of his body, though he would return home later in the night.

“So grateful for all the prayers and support,” reads a statement from Anderson. “Have been in some great hands with the NASCAR and UAB nurses and doctors. No doubt God’s hand was protecting me through that one. Scariest moment of my racing career by far.

“Ended up with second degree burns across my neck, face, right arm, hands and both knees. Getting cleared to go home tonight. Doctors say everything should be healing up within a few weeks.

“Will keep everyone updated on the healing process but just thankful it wasn’t worse.”

Hailie Deegan placed sixth for her best career finish, but her team was marred by a bizarre moment in the pits when her rear tyre changer ran across a live pit road to fetch a loose tyre. The crewman was quickly ejected from the track by NASCAR and had his credentials revoked.

Race results

Finish	Start	Number	Driver	Team	Manufacturer	Laps	Status
1	30	25	Matt DiBenedetto	Rackley WAR	Chevrolet	95	Running
2	15	99	Ben Rhodes	ThorSport Racing	Toyota	95	Running
3	23	32	Bret Holmes	Bret Holmes Racing	Chevrolet	95	Running
4	10	17	Ryan Preece^	David Gilliland Racing	Ford	95	Running
5	13	98	Christian Eckes	ThorSport Racing	Toyota	95	Running
6	27	1	Hailie Deegan	David Gilliland Racing	Ford	95	Running
7	26	61	Chase Purdy	Hattori Racing Enterprises	Toyota	95	Running
8	7	91	Colby Howard	McAnally-Hilgemann Racing	Chevrolet	95	Running
9	21	75	Parker Kligerman	Henderson Motorsports	Chevrolet	95	Running
10	20	16	Tyler Ankrum	Hattori Racing Enterprises	Toyota	95	Running
11	36	30	Kaden Honeycutt	On Point Motorsports	Toyota	95	Running
12	25	84	Clay Greenfield	Cook Racing Technologies	Toyota	95	Running
13	8	19	Derek Kraus	McAnally-Hilgemann Racing	Chevrolet	95	Running
14	2	18	Chandler Smith	Kyle Busch Motorsports	Toyota	95	Running
15	33	56	Timmy Hill	Hill Motorsports	Toyota	95	Running
16	29	20	Parker Retzlaff*	Young’s Motorsports	Chevrolet	95	Running
17	4	38	Zane Smith	Front Row Motorsports	Ford	95	Running
18	28	02	Kaz Grala	Young’s Motorsports	Chevrolet	95	Running
19	14	24	Jack Wood	GMS Racing	Chevrolet	95	Running
20	18	52	Stewart Friesen	Halmar Friesen Racing	Toyota	95	Running
21	32	44	Bayley Currey*	Niece Motorsports	Chevrolet	95	Running
22	5	88	Matt Crafton	ThorSport Racing	Toyota	95	Running
23	6	66	Ty Majeski	ThorSport Racing	Toyota	95	Running
24	1	4	John Hunter Nemechek	Kyle Busch Motorsports	Toyota	95	Running
25	19	13	Johnny Sauter	ThorSport Racing	Toyota	95	Running
26	12	51	Corey Heim	Kyle Busch Motorsports	Toyota	94	Accident
27	24	9	Blaine Perkins	CR7 Motorsports	Chevrolet	94	Accident
28	3	42	Carson Hocevar	Niece Motorsports	Chevrolet	94	Running
29	16	23	Grant Enfinger	GMS Racing	Chevrolet	94	Running
30	17	22	Austin Wayne Self	AM Racing	Chevrolet	78	Accident
31	11	15	Tanner Gray	David Gilliland Racing	Ford	78	Accident
32	31	10	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing	Chevrolet	73	Clutch
33	34	45	Lawless Alan	Niece Motorsports	Chevrolet	32	Accident
34	35	40	Dean Thompson	Niece Motorsports	Chevrolet	32	Accident
35	22	28	Bryan Dauzat	FDNY Racing	Chevrolet	32	DVP
36	9	3	Jordan Anderson	Jordan Anderson Racing	Chevrolet	18	Accident
DNQ		46	Tim Viens	G2G Racing	Toyota
DNQ		12	Spencer Boyd	Young’s Motorsports	Chevrolet
DNQ		33	Jason White	Reaume Brothers Racing	Toyota
DNQ		43	Natalie Decker	Reaume Brothers Racing	Toyota

Bold – Currently in playoffs
^ – Currently in owner playoffs
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for points