Thursday, December 15, 2016

UPDATED: DiBenedetto To GoFas Racing In 2017; Charter Swap Makes Wood Brothers A Chartered Team

Matt DiBenedetto will drive the #32 GoFas Racing Ford in 2017.

"I am very excited to join Go Fas Racing for the 2017 season,” said DiBenedetto, who comes to GFR after running for BK Racing last season. In two years of NASCAR premier series competition, he has 68 starts and a season-best finish of sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016. “We have a great group of people that I am very excited to work with this season. I am thankful for the opportunity and I look forward to representing the team and sponsors to the best of my ability.”

"This will be our first season in the premier series with one driver running the complete season for us,” said GoFas Racing owner Archie St. Hillaire. “We believe Matt's driving ability and a fleet of newer race equipment purchased this off-season will elevate our program to new levels in 2017.

Backing for the team will come from Can-Am/Kappa, Keen Parts, Visone RV and Really Cheap Floors, with the potential for some of Scott's former RPM sponsors to transfer to GFR next season.

"We're also talking with RPM about maintaining some of the No. 44 sponsors on our car," revealed St. Hillaire in an exclusive Sirius XM NASCAR Radio interview. "Three-quarters of our sponsorships are already sold; more than we’ve ever had."

GoFas has purchased six cars from Richard Petty Motorsports; one superspeedway car and six downforce machines.

St. Hillaire confirmed that he has leased GoFas Racing's 2016 charter to Wood Brothers Racing for use on their No. 21 Ford. GoFas will race using the charter campaigned by driver Brian Scott and the No. 44 Ford last year; leased from RPM. Scott announced his retirement from the sport prior to the season final at Homestead Miami Speedway.

RPM is expected to field only a single car next season; the No. 43 Smithfield Ford driven by Aric Almirola.

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:58 PM

    Exciting news ....thanks for sharing !!

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  2. Congrats to Matt D and GFR! Here's to wishing them a very successful season! But one has to wonder, what is going on over at the Petty shop????

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  3. Lets see, purses get cut last year, series sponsorship goes from 75 mil to 20 mil, is the King thinking purses are going to get cut one again? Is Petty Motor Sports the first victim of the new and severely smaller premier series sponsorship? Just asking that's all !

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    1. Your numbers ($75M to $20M) are incorrect, according to NASCAR.

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    2. Ok Dave, if you want to split hairs on a couple million one way or the other, I will give you that! But, France failed to replicate what he was getting from Sprint, Monster is no where close to what Sprint was given. All that is left is to wait and see how much of a negative effect it will have on the sport. And, I think that negative effects have already started with the #7, #16, #44 and #46 not going to be on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series tracks next year, what a shame, way to go Mr. France!

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    3. So what is the annual sponsorship if it's not $20 million?

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  4. Just goes to show how out of touch Nascar can be. The Woods should have been given a charter based on their contribution to the sport; for them to go through backdoors to get one sickens me as a longtime Nascar fan. And I'm scratching my head as how Petty & Ford could not scrape up the money to at least run Regan Smith in the #44. Feel bad for Aric Amirola, he can't buy a break. The plan for Hendrick in the event of Jr's retirement was to put Amirola in the #88 and give Bowman to Petty for the #43.

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    1. The vast majority of the #44 car's sponsorship last season -- Albertson's, Shore Lodge, etc. -- came with Brian Scott. When he left, they left.

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    2. And there is no way that Hendrick and Chevrolet were going to send Alex Bowman to Ford. None.

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  5. Anonymous6:07 PM

    So glad that the #32 team is moving forward with the new permanent driver and better cars to field. They are a great friendly team and owner Archie St.Hillaire is the nicest guy you would ever want to meet. I am very proud to be a small time sponsor and follow the team when I can. The Rod Father.....

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  6. Anonymous9:31 AM

    I am very excited that the GOFAS Cup team with Matt Benideto is making great gains this year. Team owner Archie and son GM Mason are top shelf people for sure and I am proud to call them my friends!! They deserve to run up front!! Les The Rod Father.....

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