Matt Kenseth | |||||||
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Born | Matthew Roy Kenseth March 10, 1972 Cambridge, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||
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 Sprint All Star Race Winner 2012, 2014 Budweiser Duel Winner 2015 Sprint Unlimited Winner 1994, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2019 Slinger Nationals Winner (Most All-Time) | ||||||
Awards | 2000 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year NASCAR Hall of Fame (2023) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) | ||||||
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 Canada 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 stock car racing driver who currently serves as the competition advisor for Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series. He last competed part-time in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), driving the No. 8 car. He also currently competes often in Slinger Speedway, where he holds the record for most Slinger Nationals wins.
Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track championships at Madison International Speedway, Slinger Super Speedway and Wisconsin International Raceway. He moved to the ARTGO, American Speed Association, and Hooters Late Model touring series before getting a full-time ride in the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) for his former Wisconsin short track rival Robbie Reiser, finishing second and third in the standings.
Kenseth moved up to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He won the series' Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 and the final Winston Cup championship in 2003. The International Race of Champions invited Kenseth to race in their 2004 season as the reigning NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion and he won the season championship. In 2009, he won a rain-shortened Daytona 500 and won a second Daytona 500 in 2012. As of 2022, he is the last driver to compete in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race in four consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s). He is the father of Ross Kenseth.