Thursday, May 10, 2018

Welcome Back Matt

Welcome Back Matt
Welcome Back Matt

He really wasn’t gone that long . . . . . however, just in case you forgot, below is my re-introduction of one of NASCAR Race Mom’s favorite NASCAR personalities. I mean . . . . really, how could you not root for a man nicknamed “Matt the Brat!”

“He had a nickname when he ran on short tracks called ‘Matt the Brat’ so there’s a side of Matt that maybe not all of you guys know but some of his early competitors definitely have a good sense of,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. informed reporters after Kenseth jumped Brad Keselowski in the garage following the 2014 Bank of America 500.

ABOUT MATT

  • Date of Birth: March 10, 1972
  • Hometown: Cambridge, WI
  • Resides: Mooresville, NC
  • Spouse: Katie
  • Children: Ross, Kaylin, Grace, Clara, Mallory
  • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Career Stats :
  • Starts: 650
    • Wins: 39
    • Top 5s: 181
    • Top 10s: 327
    • Poles: 20

Matt Kenseth’s victory in the 2012 Daytona 500 placed him into an exclusive group of only 11 drivers in the history of NASCAR who have won the famed race more than once. When Kenseth earned his first Daytona 500 in 2009, the Cambridge, Wisconsin native became one of only six drivers in the sport’s history to win a Cup Championship, the Sunoco Rookie Award and the Daytona 500; placing him in the elite company of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, David Pearson and Richard Petty.

Over the course of his 20-year Cup Series career, Kenseth racked up 39 victories at 19 different tracks and took the top honor in 2003 as the last Winston Cup Series Champion. Kenseth also boasts an International Race of Champions (IROC) title in 2004, and qualified for the Playoffs in 13 of 14 seasons. Kenseth’s 39 Cup Series victories ranked 19th all-time entering 2018. He also recorded 20 pole positions, 181 top-five finishes and 327 top-10 finishes in 650 starts or more than 50 percent of his total Cup starts.

Kenseth has also collected 29 wins in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series with his last victory coming in the series’ at the season-finale event at Homestead in 2014. Kenseth has earned 139 top-five finishes, 202 top-ten finishes, and 17 poles in his 288 starts in the series.


Matt’s Career Highlights

2017

  • • Finished seventh in the driver championship point standings, notching a top-10 finish in the points for the 13th season.
  • • Scored one win, 10 top-five, 18 top-10 finishes and two poles.
  • • Won both poles at Richmond.
  • • Recorded an average starting position of 10.4 and an average finish of 14.2.
  • • Led 62 laps en route to the season’s only victory at Phoenix.

2016

  • • Finished fifth in the driver point standings, the seventh time in his career with a top-five finish in points.
  • • Scored victories at Dover in June and Loudon in July.
  • • Led the point standings twice during the Playoffs.
  • • Qualified for the 12th post season in 13 years.
  • • Notched eight top-five, 19 top-10 finishes and one pole (Kansas 2).
  • • Average start of 9.6 was the second best of his career. Average finish was 13.8.

2015

  • • Finished 15th in the driver point standings after missing two races during the season
  • • Third career season in the Sprint Cup Series where Kenseth earned more than five wins (2002, 2013, and 2015)
  • • Kenseth earned five wins in 2015 including his first career victory at Pocono Raceway
  • • Kenseth earned four pole awards and went on to win twice from the pole (Bristol 1 and Michigan 2)
  • • Earned 12 top-five and 20 top-ten finishes
  • • Set two track records for greatest margin of victory (Pocono 2 and New Hampshire 2)
  • • Earned his 11th career berth into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
  • • Had an average start of 11.5 and an average finish of 14.3 for the season

2014

  • • Finished seventh in series points in his sophomore season with JGR
  • • Earned his tenth career berth into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
  • • Best finish of the season was second which he achieved at Atlanta and Talladega 2
  • • Kenseth earned two pole awards in 2014 at Fontana and Texas 2
  • • Earned 13 top-five and 22 top-ten finishes
  • • Had an average start of 14.0 and an average finish of 13.2 for the season

2013

  • • Finished second in series points, just 19 points out of first in his debut season with JGR
  • • Earned a series-high seven victories, including the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway
  • • Four of Kenseth’s seven wins came at tracks he had never won at previously in the Cup series: (Darlington, Kentucky, Chicago, and New Hampshire)
  • • Won the pole three times (Kansas 1, Richmond 1, and Homestead)
  • • Qualified for the Chase for the ninth time in the format’s 10 years of existence
  • • Had the series’ best Driver Rating for 2013
  • • Led the points for seven weeks, six of those during the Chase after starting as the Chase’s top seed
  • • Earned a career-best laps led total of 1,783; more than his 2009-2012 seasons combined
  • • Earned 12 top five and 20 top-ten finishes

2012

  • • Finished seventh in series points
  • • Opened season winning his Gatorade Duel race and second Daytona 500 in four years
  • • Won pole at Daytona in July
  • • Career-best average start of 13.3
  • • Three wins for second consecutive season (Daytona, Talladega and Kansas)
  • • Earned 13 top five and 19 top-ten finishes
  • • Average finish of 11.1, which is his best since 2006
  • • 13 top-five finishes best since 2007
  • • Completed 99.3 percent of laps attempted and led for a total of 480 laps

2011

  • • Snapped a 76-race winless streak with a victory at Texas in April
  • • Three victories for the season (Texas, Dover and Charlotte)
  • • Earned a total of three poles (career-high total for a season)
  • • 12 top-five finishes
  • • 20 top-10 finishes
  • • Qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup finishing fourth in the points
  • • Earned a Nationwide Series win at Charlotte in his only start of the season

2010

  • • Six top-five finishes
  • • 15 top-10 finishes
  • • Qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup finishing fifth in the points
  • Made 400th career Sprint Cup series start at Homestead in November
  • • Finished runner-up twice for the season at both Atlanta (March) and Texas (November)

2009

  • • Two wins (Daytona 500 and Fontana)
  • • Posted seven top five and 12 top-10 finishes
  • • Captured fourth career Cup pole in May at Darlington
  • • Won his 25th career Nationwide Race in May at Darlington

2008

  • • Nine top-five finishes
  • • 20 top-10 finishes
  • • Qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup; one of only two drivers to do so each year of the format’s existence
  • • Made 300th career Sprint Cup series start at Phoenix in April
  • • Scored 24th career Nationwide victory at Atlanta in March

2007

  • • Two wins (Fontana, Homestead)
  • • 13 top-five finishes
  • • 22 top-10 finishes
  • • Finished fourth in Cup championship point standings
  • • Led 912 laps, the third most in his career
  • • Became one of two drivers to qualify for the season-ending Chase in each of its first four seasons
  • • Two Nationwide Series wins (Fontana, Texas)
  • • Finished 10th in the Nationwide Series championship point standings, despite missing 11 events; his highest finish in the Nationwide Series since 1999

2006

  • • Four wins (Fontana, Dover, Michigan, Bristol)
  • • Career-best, 15 top-five finishes
  • • 21 top-10 finishes
  • • Career-best, 9.8 average finish
  • • Career-best, 14.6 average start
  • • Finished second in Sprint Cup championship point standings
  • • Led career-high 1132 laps
  • • Won once (Daytona oval) and finished second in the IROC Series Championship
  • • Three Nationwide Series wins (Bristol, Phoenix, Homestead)
  • • Scored 18 top-10 finishes in 21 starts in the Nationwide Series

2005

  • • One win (Bristol)
  • • Won two poles (Bristol, Kansas)
  • • 12 top-five finishes
  • • 17 top-10 finishes
  • • Finished seventh in Sprint Cup championship point standings
  • • One Nationwide Series win (Darlington)
  • • Scored 12 top-10 finishes in 15 starts in the Nationwide Series

2004

  • • Two wins (Rockingham, Las Vegas)
  • • Eight top-five finishes
  • • 16 top-10 finishes
  • • Finished eighth in Sprint Cup championship point standings
  • • Won two of four IROC events and picked up IROC Series Championship
  • • Three Nationwide Series wins (Texas, Loudon, Atlanta)
  • • Scored 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts in the Nationwide Series

2003

  • • NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, the final champion of the “Winston era”
  • • One win (Las Vegas)
  • • 11 top-five finishes
  • • Career-best, 25 top-10 finishes
  • • Two Nationwide Series wins (Fontana, Charlotte)
  • • Scored nine top-10 finishes in 14 starts in the Nationwide Series

2002

  • • Five wins (Rockingham, Texas, Michigan, Richmond, Phoenix)
  • • Won one pole (Dover)
  • • 11 top-five finishes
  • • 19 top-10 finishes
  • • No.17 DEWALT crew won World Pit Crew Competition (2nd consecutive year)
  • • Finished eighth in Cup championship point standings

2001

  • • Four top-five finishes
  • • Nine top-10 finishes
  • • No.17 DEWALT crew won World Pit Crew Competition
  • • Finished 13th in Cup championship point standings
  • • One Nationwide Series win (Bristol)
  • • Scored 14 top-10 finishes in 23 starts in the Nationwide Series

2000

  • • Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year
  • • One win (Charlotte), 18th career start
  • • Four top-five finishes
  • • 11 top-10 finishes
  • • Finished 14th in Cup championship point standings
  • • Four Nationwide Series wins (Daytona, Fontana, Dover, Charlotte)
  • • Scored 17 top-10 finishes in 20 starts in the Nationwide Series

1999

  • • Started five Cup races with Roush Racing and DEWALT
  • • Four Nationwide Series wins (Darlington, Nazareth, Fontana, Bristol)
  • • Two poles in Nationwide Series.
  • • Finished third in Nationwide Series championship point standings
  • • Partnered with DEWALT Industrial Tools in the Nationwide Series.

1998

  • • Three Nationwide Series wins (Rockingham, Pikes Peak, Dover)
  • • Scored 17 top-five finishes and 23 top-10 finishes
  • • Made Cup Series debut at Dover and finished sixth
  • • Finished second in Nationwide Series championship point standings

1997

  • • Joined Reiser Enterprises in April
  • • Two third-place finishes in the Nationwide Series (Dover, Fontana)
  • • Finished second in Nationwide Series (then Busch Series), Rookie of the Year race with only 21 starts
  • • Finished second in ASA Series points prior to moving to Reiser Enterprises

1996

  • • Made Nationwide Series debut at Charlotte in May
  • • Finished third in the Hooters Pro Cup Series with one win

NRM was thrilled when Roush Fenway Racing announced that Kenseth would return to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition to pilot the No. 6 in 2018. He will share driving duties with current No. 6 driver Trevor Bayne at Roush Fenway Racing, the team with whom he earned his first-ever full-time ride in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Kenseth also won the 2003 series championship under the RFR banner. The news came less than six months after Kenseth’s final race in the No. 20 JGR Toyota at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2017.

Welcome Back - #6 Matt Kenseth from Cambridge, WI
in the Roush Fenway Racing - Wyndham Rewards Ford!

Team owner Jack Roush (seen here in 2006) groomed Kenseth for a Cup
Series career, hiring him for five starts in 1999 ahead of a full rookie campaign
in 2000. Kenseth had already impressed with a sixth-place finish in his series
debut in 1998, filling in at Dover as Bill Elliott attended his father's funeral.

Kenseth collected what would be his final victory in Roush Fenway equipment
in October 2012 at Kansas Speedway. He rounded out the year seventh
in points, but was bound for a new destination in the offseason.

Kenseth rode his reliability (lead-lap finishes in all but 5 of the 36 races) to the
2003 championship, celebrating with wife, Katie, while donning Roush's signature hat.



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