HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Matt Kenseth opened this season with a second victory in the Daytona 500, and it didn’t take him long to establish himself as a legitimate championship contender.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Matt Kenseth opened this season with a second victory in the Daytona 500, and it didn’t take him long to establish himself as a legitimate championship contender.
But before the midpoint of the season, Kenseth had decided he no longer wanted to drive for Roush Fenway Racing. On Tuesday, nearly two months after RFR said Kenseth was leaving, the driver finally confirmed he’s moving to Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season.
“Surprise,” he said as he entered a JGR news conference, a dry quip at one of the worst kept secrets in NASCAR.
Kenseth was deliberately vague, though, as to why he’s leaving RFR after 13 full Cup seasons. He’s never driven for anyone else at NASCAR’s highest level, and paired with Jack Roush won 22 races, a pair of Daytona 500s and the 2003 championship.
“I knew it would not only be a good fit, but it’s about winning races and winning championships and you want to put yourself in a position to be competitive going forward,” Kenseth said. “I felt like this was it.”
But he was winning races and he was competitive at Roush, where the 40-year-old Kenseth is considered one of NASCAR’s elite drivers. Pressed as to what JGR offered, Kenseth knew he wasn’t going to give a clear answer.
Kenseth was in the final year of his contract with RFR, and every one of his previous deals with Roush had been extended before he’d gotten to the final season.
But he indicated Tuesday things “got cloudy” after his Daytona 500 victory.
Enter JGR, who has room for a fourth car but was also eager to add an upgrade to its lineup.