Matt DiBenedetto Walks Away From Fiery Portland Crash

The smell of burning rubber and smoke filled the air at Portland International Raceway this past weekend. Still, thankfully, Matt DiBenedetto walked away from what could have been a much worse situation. When fire erupted in the cockpit of his Xfinity Series car, the veteran driver showed exactly why experience matters in this sport. Standing in the infield care center after getting checked out by medical personnel, you could see the relief wash over DiBenedetto’s face. This wasn’t his first rodeo dealing with car trouble, but fire in the cockpit hits differently than your typical mechanical failure. That’s the kind of moment that reminds you why these drivers are made of different stuff than the rest of us. When flames started licking around his feet, DiBenedetto didn’t panic. Years of racing at the highest levels kick in during moments like these, and muscle memory takes over. The Connecticut native calmly unbuckled his safety harness, popped the window net, and climbed out of that burning race car like he