Kenseth signs extension with Roush Fenway Racing

CONCORD, N.C. -- Roush Fenway Racing has signed Matt Kenseth to a multi-year contract extension. Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, has been with Roush Fenway since 1998 and has 16 wins in 328 starts.

Kenseth

"It's been a great 11 years at Roush Fenway Racing," said Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Ford. "We've had a lot of success together including a championship and I'm really proud of that. I'm looking forward to the next few years and winning another championship with Roush Fenway."

After making the Chase for the fifth consecutive season, Kenseth finished the 12th in points. His 2008 stats included nine top-five finishes and 20 top-10s. However, he failed to win a race for the first time since the 2001 season.

"Matt Kenseth is a champion in every sense of the word and John Henry and I are proud to have him in our stable of drivers," team owner Jack Roush said. "Over the last 11 years Matt has been a leader in our organization and a voracious competitor on track, and to know that he will continue on in that role with Roush Fenway is gratifying."

Kenseth is the longest-tenured driver with Roush Fenway Racing. The team's other drivers are Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan.

Roush recently re-signed Edwards and Biffle, and the extension for Kenseth means either McMurray or Ragan will have to leave the organization at the end of 2009. Roush currently has five Cup entries, but must scale it back to four to be in compliance with NASCAR's car cap.