NASCAR Nationwide Series

Joe Gibbs Racing has a similar, if slightly less formal, program going with its NASCAR Nationwide Series team this year with young drivers Brad Coleman and Matt DiBenedetto.

DiBenedetto’s 2010 schedule calls for six starts in the No. 20 Pizza Ranch Toyota Camry, while Coleman gets seven starts in the No. 18 SafeWay Driving Centers Camry. The starts for each driver are coming in Nationwide Series races that do not run as companion events at Sprint Cup Series races.

In the companion events, Sprint Cup Series star and 2009 Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch races the No. 18 machine, while JGR’s two other Sprint Cup racers, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, share the No. 20 Nationwide ride.

So far, DiBenedetto has made four starts with a best result of 10th at Nashville, while Coleman has finished sixth twice among his four starts to date. Both drivers are also doing their part to help Joe Gibbs Racing’s efforts in Owner Points. The No. 18 team is just one point out of the lead, while the No. 20 team is currently fourth.

Given that the Nationwide Series schedule is 35 races long, Coleman and DiBenedetto aren’t getting a lot of seat time. But that’s not really an issue for either driver, since even a little bit of seat time in a JGR Toyota is extremely valuable. In fact, it could be even more valuable than a lot more seat time somewhere else.

“I would much rather do six races in one of Joe Gibbs Racing’s cars versus doing even a full season in just some subpar equipment,” says DiBenedetto. “It’s really not worth it to do that. Six races, I’m really fortunate to have that, and to be in such great equipment, it helps your learning curve a lot just to have good equipment behind you. When you have a good car, the rest of it is up to you to get your feet wet and get used to the series.”

“I think it’s changed over the years,” Coleman adds. “If you look at the series 10 years ago, new drivers coming in really had time to develop and spread their wings and get used to driving the cars and racing in the series. Now, it’s so, ‘Come on, come on! You need to win immediately.’ You get in the car and you get a couple races and you’re expected to win or run in the top five.

“It’s just so tough to prove yourself, which is why, in my opinion, I’d rather do a half schedule with Joe Gibbs Racing than a full schedule in a car that isn’t so good, because it’s so important to prove yourself right away. Not many team owners out there are giving drivers a full schedule or two seasons to really learn how to drive and it’s tough.”

While they will account for fewer than 25 percent of the team’s Nationwide Series races this year, both drivers have become part of the Joe Gibbs Racing family and maintain a strong presence at the team’s headquarters in North Carolina.

“It’s important to show that we care,” Coleman says. “I really do care about my career and how the racecar is run. I’m not sitting home all day every day just waiting and then when the race weekend comes, I go hop on the plane. I don’t do that. I’m at the shop Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday just doing everything I can to be ready.”

A key thing both Coleman and DiBenedetto do to be ready is to work out together at the shop. Coleman says they’re “each other’s personal trainers,” and they’re always pushing each other. However, they’re both at distinctly different points on driver development learning curve.

The 22-year-old Coleman was first acquainted with the team in 2007, when he drove 17 races aboard the team’s No. 18 machine. In fact, Coleman worked with crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who still runs the ship for the No. 18 Nationwide team today.

“Something that’s funny is, back in ’07, when I was racing with Jason in that 18, we were going for his first win in the 18 car,” Coleman recalls. “Now, three years later when I’m driving it, we’re going for his 30th-something win, so a lot has changed in the last couple of years.”

DiBenedetto, meanwhile, got acquainted with Joe Gibbs Racing last year, making his first Nationwide Series start at Memphis. He celebrated his 19th birthday this week and is careful not to set his expectations too high at this very early stage in his career.

“It’s be incredible to get a win in the Nationwide Series, but my goal is to get a top five or top fives,” he says. “We have the equipment to do it. I don’t quite have the experience, but I know we can definitely run up there.”

Both drivers also rely heavily on the their Cup Series counterparts who drive the Nationwide Series cars on a more regular basis. When he’s not in the cockpit, Coleman is on the pit box listening, watching and learning as much as he can from Busch. Likewise, DiBenedetto taps into Logano’s expertise whenever possible.

“Joey actually helps me the most of anybody, by far,” DiBenedetto says. “He really helps me out a ton. I can call him whenever I need to and pick his brain as much as I possibly want. He never minds. He’s always willing to help. He’ll never know how much that is appreciated.”

Of course, both drivers aspire to one day advance to the Sprint Cup Series, which could be difficult to do with Joe Gibbs Racing since the team’s three current drivers are all in their 20s. However, there has been a lot of conversation lately about changes to limit the participation of full-time Cup racers in the Nationwide Series, which could create more opportunities for Coleman and DiBenedetto. And then there’s always the possibility of another car...

“I’m happy to do it,” Coleman says. “I’m here just waiting for an opportunity. I love this team and I want to do everything I can to stick with them as long as I can. They’re great people and I feel so happy every time I walk in the shop.”

“It’s a great opportunity just being able to get this far,” DiBenedetto concludes. “Everybody’s goal is obviously to be in Cup one day, of course, but Joe Gibbs Racing is always going to continue to grow, just like they always have, and form a fourth team somewhere in the future.

“As far as my focus, really, my main focus is just Nationwide and getting some more experience and then starting to win some races in Nationwide. The more experience I can get, the better. That’s really all I’ve thought about and focused on, because that’s the main thing I need to work on and improve right now.”