Matt Kenseth 2017 Season Recap

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, finished seventh in the final standings of what could have been his final full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. See highlights from his 2017 season.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won two poles in 2017, both at Richmond Raceway, marking the 19th and 20th poles of his Monster Energy Series career. He led a combined 253 laps during those two races.

Kenseth finished 50 percent of his 36-race schedule this season in the top 10. This includes 10 top-five finishes, which tops his 2016 total of top fives (eight). The 2003 Monster Energy Series champion also paced the field for 421 laps, marking the 18th straight season he has led 100 or more laps in a single season.

During his Friday morning press conference at Kentucky Speedway, Kenseth revealed that he did not have anything lined up for 2018 and his time with Joe Gibbs Racing, a team he has been with since 2013, would likely come to an end at the conclusion of the season.

Less than a week after Kenseth spoke of his uncertain future, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that young star Erik Jones would replace the veteran driver in the No. 20 Toyota beginning in 2018. Jones piloted the No. 77 Toyota this season for Furniture Row Racing, a JRG-associated team.

While he didn't notch a win in the regular season, Kenseth's consistency qualified him for one of the 16 spots in the 2017 Monster Energy Series Playoffs. Kenseth -- who was joined in the Playoffs by JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch -- has made the Playoffs every year since the new elimination-style format was enacted in 2014.

Consistency followed Kenseth into his playoff run, as he recorded an average finish of 9.6 in the first five races of the Playoffs. But disaster struck in the Oct. 22 elimination race at Kansas Speedway when Kenseth made a mid-race pit stop following involvement in a multi-car incident. Too many men (seven) came over the wall to fix the No. 20 and NASCAR disqualified Kenseth, ousting him from a run at the championship.

Following several months of uncertainty, Kenseth announced Nov. 4 that he would step away from driving in 2018. Not calling it 'retirement,' Kenseth noted that his time away from racing would last until he was afforded the right opportunity.

Kenseth found sweet -- and emotional -- victory in possibly his penultimate Monster Energy Series race, when he passed Chase Elliott in the waning laps at Phoenix Raceway to notch his 39th career win in the Monster Energy Series.

Kenseth's final race of the 2018 season was possibly the last one of his Monster Energy Series career. After taking the green flag fourth, he recorded an eighth-place showing in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.