Matt Kenseth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matt Kenseth |
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Kenseth at Sonoma Raceway in 2024
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| Born | Matthew Roy Kenseth March 10, 1972 Cambridge, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 152 lb (69 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | 2003 Winston Cup Series Champion 2004 IROC Champion 2009, 2012 Daytona 500 Winner 2000 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2013 Bojangles' Southern 500 Winner 2004 Nextel All-Star Challenge Winner 2012, 2014 Budweiser Duel Winner 2015 Sprint Unlimited Winner 1994, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2019 Slinger Nationals Winner (Most All-Time) |
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| Awards | 2000 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year NASCAR Hall of Fame (2023) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 697 races run over 22 years | |||||||
| 2020 position | 28th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2003) | ||||||
| First race | 1998 MBNA Gold 400 (Dover) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 Season Finale 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2000 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last win | 2017 Can-Am 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 288 races run over 19 years | |||||||
| 2015 position | 89th | ||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (1998) | ||||||
| First race | 1996 Red Dog 300 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last race | 2015 Kansas Lottery 300 (Kansas) | ||||||
| First win | 1998 GM Goodwrench Service Plus 200 (Rockingham) | ||||||
| Last win | 2014 Ford EcoBoost 300 (Homestead) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Pinty's Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 67th (2002) | ||||||
| First race | 2002 Canada Day Shootout (Cayuga) | ||||||
| First win | 2002 Canada Day Shootout (Cayuga) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of November 8, 2020. | |||||||
Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional race car driver. He is currently a competition advisor for Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kenseth also raced part-time in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). He holds the record for the most wins at the Slinger Nationals races.
Kenseth started his racing journey on short tracks in Wisconsin. He won championships at Madison International Speedway, Slinger Super Speedway, and Wisconsin International Raceway. He then moved up to bigger racing series like ARTGO and the American Speed Association. Later, he joined the NASCAR Busch Series (now called the Xfinity Series) full-time. He finished second and third in the series standings during his time there.
Kenseth moved to the top NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He earned the Rookie of the Year award in 2000. In 2003, he won the final Winston Cup championship. As the champion, he competed in the 2004 International Race of Champions season and won that championship too. Kenseth won the Daytona 500 twice, in 2009 and 2012. He is one of the few drivers to race in the NASCAR Cup Series across four different decades. Matt Kenseth is also the father of fellow racer Ross Kenseth.
Early Racing Days
Matt Kenseth was born in Cambridge, Wisconsin. He started stock car racing in 1988 when he was 16 years old. His first race was at Madison International Speedway. Before he could drive, Matt and his dad, Roy, had a deal. Roy would buy a car and race it, and Matt would work on it. They both learned a lot together.
Matt's first car was a 1981 Camaro. It had already won championships with another driver. Matt quickly found success, winning a race in only his third try. His dad, Roy, said, "Matt was smooth. I knew then he was going to be a racer." In 1989, Kenseth finished second in points at Wisconsin Dells, winning eight races. He also raced at Golden Sands Speedway and Columbus 151 Speedway. In 1990, he bought a new car and won the first race of the season at Slinger Super Speedway. He was named Rookie of the Year there.
After high school, Kenseth worked at a race car factory called Left-hander Chassis. He kept racing too. In 1991, he became the youngest winner ever in the ARTGO series. He won a race at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. The 1992 season was tough with many engine problems. Matt thought about quitting, but a friend loaned him an engine, and he decided to keep going.
In 1993, Kenseth built a new car and won eight races at Madison. He finished second in points. Later that year, Mike Butz offered him a chance to race his late model car. They started strong, winning races at Madison, La Crosse, and I-70 Speedway. Kenseth also finished third in points at Wisconsin International Raceway.
The years 1994 and 1995 were very successful for Kenseth. He raced all over Wisconsin and beat famous drivers like Dick Trickle. In 1994, he raced in 60 events. He won championships at Wisconsin International Raceway (WIR) and Madison International Speedway. He also won the important Slinger Nationals race. In 1995, he won the WIR championship again. His team owner, Patty Butz, knew he was too talented to stay with them for long.
In 1996, Kenseth moved south to race in the Hooters Late Model Series. He finished third in the series as a rookie. He also made his first start in the Busch Series at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He finished 22nd. However, his team struggled to find sponsors. This made Kenseth frustrated. By the end of the season, he left that team. He then joined Gerry Gunderman's American Speed Association team. Soon after, he got a very important phone call from a former racing rival.
NASCAR Career Highlights
Starting in NASCAR (1997–1999)
In 1997, a driver named Tim Bender got hurt. His team owner, Robbie Reiser, hired Kenseth to take his place. Reiser knew Kenseth was a good driver and could communicate well about the car. In their first race, Kenseth started third and finished 11th. In his second race, he finished seventh. He earned two top-five finishes that year.
Kenseth tried to race in the top Winston Cup Series for the first time in May 1998. He drove for Roush Racing. However, his car did not have a strong enough engine and failed to qualify for the race.
Later in 1998, Kenseth filled in for Bill Elliott in a Cup Series race at Dover. Elliott was away for his father's funeral. Kenseth did very well, finishing sixth. This was one of the best debuts for a driver. He also raced full-time in the Busch Series. He won his first Busch Series race on February 22, 1998, by passing Tony Stewart on the last turn. He finished second in the points standings that season. In 1999, Kenseth raced in some Cup Series races for Roush Racing.
Rookie Year and Early Wins (2000–2002)
In 2000, Roush Racing gave Kenseth a full-time spot in the Cup Series. He had sponsorship from DeWalt. Kenseth won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title, beating Dale Earnhardt Jr.. He made history by being the only rookie to win the famous Coca-Cola 600 race. He finished 14th in the standings with four top-five finishes.
In 2001, Kenseth finished 13th in points. His pit crew won the Unocal 76 World Pit Crew Competition. In 2002, Kenseth won five races, which was the most wins that year. But he was not consistent enough to win the championship and finished eighth in the standings. His pit crew won their second Pit Crew Challenge title.
Championship Season (2003)
In 2003, Kenseth started the season with a 20th-place finish. But he quickly improved. After winning at Las Vegas, he took the points lead and held it for 33 weeks in a row. This broke a record set by Dale Earnhardt.
Kenseth won the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup title on November 9. He finished fourth at Rockingham, which was enough to secure the championship. He finished 90 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth led the standings for 33 of the 36 races. He had 25 top-10 finishes, which was the most that season. He was the fifth different champion in five years.
Continuing Success (2004–2010)
In 2004, Kenseth won the International Race of Champions (IROC) championship. He also made it into the first-ever Nextel Cup Chase (playoffs). He finished eighth in the final standings. Kenseth won two races that year, at Rockingham and Las Vegas. He also won the NASCAR All-Star Race.
Kenseth had a tough start to the 2005 season. But he improved in the middle of the year. He climbed from 24th to eighth in points, earning a spot in the Chase. He finished seventh in the final standings, with a win at Bristol. This season was his 200th career start.
Kenseth started the 2006 season well, leading laps in the Daytona 500. He won the second race at California Speedway and took the points lead. He won again at Dover and Bristol. Kenseth finished second in the Driver's Championship that year. He also won two Busch Series races at Phoenix and Homestead.
In 2007, Kenseth won the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. He finished fourth in the series standings, making it six years in a row with a top-10 finish. He also won two Busch Series races that year.
In 2008, Kenseth did not win any races and finished 11th in points. His best finish was second at Dover. He won a Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending an 18-race winless streak in that series.
In 2009, Kenseth won the Daytona 500, which was shortened by rain. This was his first Daytona 500 win. He also won the next race, becoming one of only four drivers to do so. He set a new track record at Darlington to win the pole. Kenseth finished 14th in points that year. In a Nationwide Series race, his car flipped multiple times and caught fire, but he was not hurt.
In 2010, Kenseth did not win a race but still made the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He finished fifth in the final standings. He won a Nationwide Series race at Darlington Raceway.
Later Years with Roush (2011–2012)
In 2011, Kenseth won his fifth career pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He ended a 76-race winless streak by winning at Texas Motor Speedway. He also won at Dover International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. He made the Chase for the Sprint Cup. In the Nationwide Series, he won the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte.
Kenseth started the 2012 season by winning the Daytona 500 for the second time. In June 2012, he announced he would leave Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the season. In August, he crashed with Tony Stewart at Bristol. Stewart threw his helmet at Kenseth's car in frustration.
On September 4, 2012, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Kenseth would join their team for the 2013 season. He would drive the No. 20 Toyota, replacing Joey Logano. Kenseth won two more races in 2012, at Talladega and Kansas Speedway. The Kansas win was his first at that track and his last with Roush Fenway Racing.
Moving to Joe Gibbs Racing (2013–2017)
In the 2013 Daytona 500, Kenseth led many laps but had an engine problem and finished 37th. He got his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas. He became one of only three drivers to win a race on their birthday.
At Kansas, Kenseth won the pole and the race. However, his car was found to be too light in a small part. He lost points and the win was taken away. His team appealed, and he got some points back, and the win was given back to him.
Kenseth won the Southern 500 at Darlington, his first win at that track. He also won at Kentucky and Bristol. With five wins, Kenseth was the top driver going into the Chase. He won the first two Chase races at Chicagoland and Loudon. The Loudon win was his 500th race start.
Kenseth finished second in the championship standings, 19 points behind Jimmie Johnson. He had seven wins that season, which was his best ever. In the Nationwide Series, he raced in 16 events and won twice.
In 2014, Kenseth won one of the 2014 Budweiser Duels at Daytona. He finished sixth in the Daytona 500. He did not win any races in 2014 but still made it through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
At Charlotte, Kenseth had an incident with Brad Keselowski. Kenseth hit Keselowski's car under caution. After the race, Kenseth physically confronted Keselowski. NASCAR did not penalize Kenseth for this. He finished second at Talladega and made it to the Eliminator Round. He finished seventh in the final standings. He also won his final Nationwide Series race at Homestead.
Kenseth started the 2015 season by winning the 2015 Sprint Unlimited race. He broke a 51-race winless streak by winning the Food City 500. He also won at Pocono and Michigan. He won his fourth race of the season at Richmond. He had the most wins (four) going into the Chase.
At New Hampshire, Kenseth won his fifth race of the year. This helped him move to the next round of the Chase. At Talladega, he crashed on the final lap and was eliminated from the playoffs.
Rivalry with Joey Logano and Suspension (2015)
During the Hollywood Casino 400, Kenseth was leading but was spun out by Joey Logano near the end of the race. This cost him a chance to advance in the playoffs.
At Martinsville, Kenseth was involved in a crash. When he returned to the track, he intentionally wrecked Logano in revenge for the earlier incident. The crowd cheered, but NASCAR immediately disqualified him. Kenseth was suspended for two races. His team appealed, but the suspension was upheld.
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After his suspension, Kenseth admitted his actions were deliberate and said he had no regrets. His actions ended Logano's chances of winning the championship. Kenseth finished 15th in the standings that season.
Final Seasons (2016–2020)
In the 2016 Daytona 500, Kenseth led late in the race but finished 14th. At Talladega, he was involved in a big crash where his car flipped onto its roof. He exchanged words with Joey Logano after the race, but they later resolved their differences.
Kenseth won at Dover, ending a 17-race winless streak. He also won at New Hampshire, his second win there in a row. This was his 38th career victory. However, his team was penalized points after the New Hampshire race for a car inspection issue. In the Chase race at Phoenix, Kenseth crashed and was eliminated from championship contention. He finished fifth in the points standings.
In 2017, Kenseth lost his main sponsor. Other sponsors like Dewalt and Tide stepped up. He finished second at Watkins Glen, his best road-course result. He made the playoffs for the 13th time.
On July 11, 2017, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Erik Jones would replace Kenseth in 2018. Kenseth said he would take time off from racing. He won his first race of the year at Phoenix, passing Chase Elliott with nine laps left. This ended a 51-race winless streak. This was his 39th career win. Kenseth finished eighth in his final race with Joe Gibbs Racing at Homestead and seventh in the overall standings.
In April 2018, Roush Fenway Racing announced Kenseth would return part-time to drive the No. 6 Ford. He shared the car with Trevor Bayne. Kenseth raced in seven events. He finished 36th in his first race back after a crash. He also raced in the All-Star Race, starting from the pole. He earned his first top-10 finish of the season at Phoenix, finishing seventh. In his final race for Roush Fenway Racing at Homestead, he finished sixth.
Kenseth returned to racing in July 2019 in a Super late model at the Slinger Nationals. He won the race, extending his record to eight victories. He also appeared on a show called Coffee with Kyle on NBC Sports.
On April 27, 2020, Kenseth was announced as the replacement for Kyle Larson in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. He finished 10th in his return race at Darlington. He later had his best finish of the season, second place, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On September 21, 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Ross Chastain would replace Kenseth in 2021. Kenseth finished 25th in his final race at Phoenix and 28th in the overall standings. In November 2020, Kenseth said he was almost certain he would not return to full-time NASCAR racing.
In May 2022, it was announced that Kenseth would be part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023. In October 2023, he joined Legacy Motor Club as the team's competition advisor.
Personal Life
Matt Kenseth is the son of Roy and Nicola Sue Kenseth. In 2000, he married Katie Martin. They have four daughters. Kenseth also has a son, Ross Kenseth, from a previous relationship. Ross followed his father into racing, competing in legends cars and late models, and later in ARCA and NASCAR. Matt Kenseth is also a grandfather.
Kenseth ran the 2022 Boston Marathon, finishing 3,576th overall.
Kenseth opened a fan museum in Cambridge in 2004 after winning his championship. The museum later moved and then closed in 2017.
Kenseth is a fan of the metal band Metallica. He named his cat after their drummer, Lars Ulrich. He also supports the Green Bay Packers football team.
Images for kids
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Kenseth's Sportsman car from Columbus 151 Speedway
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Busch car for Kenseth's first victory
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Kenseth (#94) races Kenny Irwin Jr. in his debut race at Dover
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The car that Kenseth drove in 2004
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Kenseth's 2004 IROC Championship car.
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Kenseth's car at a Detroit Lions practice
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2007 Busch Series car
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Kenseth's car in Manhattan
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Matt Kenseth's No. 17 Crown Royal Ford at Pocono Raceway in 2011
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Kenseth at 2012 Kobalt Tools 400
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Kenseth's No. 20 Toyota during the 2013 STP Gas Booster 500
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Kenseth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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Kenseth ended a 51-race winless streak at the Food City 500.
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Kenseth at the 2015 NASCAR Victory Lap event on the Las Vegas Strip
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Kenseth during the 2017 Overton's 301
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Kenseth's showcar at Dover International Speedway in 2018
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Kenseth (2nd from left) along with Ty Majeski (left) at the 2019 Slinger Nationals
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Kenseth racing against his son Ross
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Kenseth's Former Fan Museum
See also
In Spanish: Matt Kenseth para niños
- List of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners
- List of Daytona 500 winners
- List of NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race drivers
- List of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
- List of people from Wisconsin
