Matt DiBenedetto falls out of car, takes off shoes during Xfinity Series race at Portland

Trouble it seems for Matt DiBenedetto in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway. The veteran driver came to a sudden stop in the grass on the last lap of Stage 1. Then, things got weird.

The CW caught Matt DiBenedetto stopping and getting out of his car. The only problem is, Matty D appeared to have fallen out of his car and onto the ground. He was in a hurry to get out of the 99 Viking Motorsports Ford.

DiBenedetto proceeded to sit in the grass and take his shoes off. Unusual situation unfolding at Portland.

.@ConnorZilisch DOMINATES Stage 1 in Portland, leading by nearly 15 seconds before it ends under caution as @mattdracing runs into issues. pic.twitter.com/UmZWGFu5AX

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) August 31, 2025

UPDATE: After leaving the care center, Matt DiBenedetto was able to explain the situation. There was a fire in the car down by his feet. It sounds similar to a situation that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had at Bristol a couple of years ago.

DiBenedetto also mentioned that he had to try three times to get out of the car. Fans online were concerned that the AMR Safety Team was not able to respond quickly to DiBenedetto during the incident. Instead, the race went green to the stage finish.

Thankfully, it appears that all of the safety gear – shoes, heat shields, firesuit, were all working well. There was damage to DiBenedetto’s heat shields as they began to melt. Just a terrifying situation for a driver. Being stuck in the car with a fire anywhere is a scary moment.

Matt DiBenedetto out early at Portland

Not a great end to the day for anyone. Matt DiBenedetto and the Viking Motorsports group are working on building an organization. That isn’t easy at all. This group came together a year ago, and they have made strides in performance.

Today’s race has been all about Connor Zilisch. He has been fantastic, as expected, on the road course. It is going to take a late restart and some physical racing to get Zilisch out of Victory Lane. A really strong performance and then a bit of luck, if you ask me.

Austin Hill is the driver chasing Zilisch. He will definitely get physical with Zilisch late in this race if the opportunity shows itself. Hill has been fine with contact in the past, and with the Playoffs coming up, drivers are trying to earn all the points they possibly can.

Tough break for Matt DiBenedetto. Thankfully, he is fine after he fire in his car. Down a pair of heat shields, but those can always be replaced.