By Ben White

Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the No. 93 BK Racing Toyota, needed a little help to get his first ride in 2007. When he turned 16 in July of 1991, he had just started a new part-time job and needed wheels to get to work.

“I got a 2006 Ford Mustang,” DiBenedetto said. “It was a just a regular old car. It looked cool but it was only a six-cylinder. It was black with silver stripes and I actually found it online. It looked cool partly because it was lowered. It had 19-inch wheels. It was actually a special package from Ford. It was a cool kit.”

After a long day of work, DiBenedetto was shocked to see it sitting the in the family driveway. Getting that first car is what every teenager remembers for a lifetime.

“My parents surprised me with it,” DiBenedetto said. “I had just started working at Texas Road House and didn’t have a whole lot of money. It wasn’t a crazy expensive car but a nice close-to-new car. That was really neat. Because it was a six-cylinder, the insurance payments weren’t as expensive.”

DiBenedetto’s first ride is still running strong, thanks to a very close friend of the family.

“Actually, my very best friend owns it still,” DiBenedetto said. “He was our neighbor and I sold it to him. It’s his daily driver.”