Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Reconnecting to his roots, Matt Kenseth had a familiar face on hand Tuesday to help welcome him back to Roush Fenway Racing.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017 inductee Mark Martin, Kenseth’s teammate at Roush from 2000-06, introduced the 2003 champion in a press conference held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame announcing his return to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Kenseth will share the seat of the No. 6 Ford with Trevor Bayne for the remainder of the 2018 season, beginning with the May 12 race at Kansas Speedway. Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark also confirmed Kenseth will participate in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on May 19 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Roush Fenway introduces Kenseth as driver of No. 6

For Kenseth, it was perfect timing despite the series being 11 races deep into the year by the time he climbs in a race car again.

“You kind of know when something feels right,” Kenseth said. “Certainly to come back and hopefully help Jack (Roush), who obviously has done so much for my career, hopefully get Roush Fenway Racing running better again. I feel like they’ve definitely been trending in the right direction.

“I think it’s a good challenge for me. I’m really looking forward to it. Not just the driving part, but a lot of the rest of it to hopefully get in there and get my hands dirty and try to evaluate what we can do better.”

Martin, who has also played a role at Roush recently, drove the No. 6 Ford to 35 wins over the course of 19 full-time premier series seasons. He could barely put into words what it means to have Kenseth driving that number, one he made so famous throughout his career.

“I can’t tell you what it means to me. I’ve been so excited,” Martin said. “ I don’t think I can describe to you what it means to me to look at that car and know that my favorite driver of all time is going to be in that car.”

RELATED: Kenseth: ‘I’m excited, not worried about rust’ | No. 6 drivers through the years

Martin recognizes Kenseth as his favorite driver for many reasons, including the fact that Martin was one of the first to see his full potential.

“I met with Matt at a driver’s meeting at Talladega and had a conversation with him for 30 minutes and knew, right then, that he was the guy,” Martin said. “I knew. All I can say is I’m dumber than hell and I can’t explain a lot of different things … but I knew he was the right guy. I knew, definitely, he was the right guy for the job.”

Now, Martin is confident that Kenseth is the fearless veteran who can push the Roush Fenway program forward.

“I see a lot of good people there,” Martin said. “I see everything you need to compete for wins. I see everything you need.

“They’ve got a good leader in position to do some of these races,” he added. “I think Matt being part time will be a good thing.”

In 13 full-time seasons with Roush from 2000 through 2012, Kenseth racked up 24 of his 39 career victories. When Kenseth got a call from Jack Roush, founder and owner of Roush Fenway Racing, he was presented an offer he later accepted, but he did have one question for the “Cat in the Hat” first.

“When I contacted Matt to see if he had an interest of getting involved in our program with the objectives that we set forth, his question for me was why did it take so long for me to call,” Roush said.

Roush later admitted the reason for it.

“I still had a little bit of a rawness over the fact that he left me when he did,” Roush added.

MORE: All of Kenseth’s Cup victories | Full circle at Roush: Kenseth through the years

Now, Roush feels Kenseth has a place at the organization that stretches beyond the driver’s seat.

“We see a potential role for Matt being involved with the company past his driving,” Roush said. “We haven’t talked much about that, but certainly we feel like he’s come home to us. Him being a part of our history and our legacy, as is Mark, we have two really great drivers and great people that have helped us build this thing and we’re anxious to keep them involved if we can going forward.”

It’s a role that Kenseth also envisions himself taking on down the road, one that would fulfill that competitive drive long after his driving career is over.

“There’s part of me that misses being part of something, especially when you’ve been a competitor your whole life,” Kenseth said. “And, obviously, you’re not going to drive forever. I think still being part of something competitive and trying to make something better, trying to figure out how to do it better than the next guy and go beat everybody is still there — whether you’re in the car or whether you’re not.”

The new opportunity is not one he feels is owed to him, nor does he feel like he has something to prove.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t really feel like I have anything to prove,” Kenseth said. “I don’t. Obviously, every time you get in a race car and go to the race track, you want to be your best and you go there with the idea of trying to win. That’s never going to change as long as I drive. I will say this opportunity is probably as much about the rest of my role and possible future role than it is just the driving.”

“For me, it’s just never being comfortable,” he added. “Never feeling like I’m near good enough and I need to be doing better. Figuring out what you can do better and moving on from there. I don’t think I’ve necessarily earned it, but I go out there and do my very best Monday through Sunday, and that’s something that never changes with me.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

Those cheers, the ones you can hear over the engines, are part of Talladega Superspeedway legend. For decades, the chorus of uplifted voices has largely belonged to the family Earnhardt, first saluting the No. 3 before that backing swayed to the No. 8 and then No. 88.

Alex Bowman doesn’t share the last name, but as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s successor this season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, he carries clout and an endorsement from Junior himself. This weekend, he’ll find out if the longtime stronghold of the Earnhardt fan base throws its boisterous support behind him.

“I hope so. Obviously, hopefully some of the 88 fans stick around and keep cheering for the 88 car,” says Bowman, who turns 26 years old Wednesday. “There’s nobody forcing them to do that, so we’ll have to wait and see, but my job is just to give them something to cheer for.”

RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega

Spending time at the front of the pack in Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) would likely help Bowman’s case. Hendrick Motorsports cars showed strength with the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 model at the series’ most recent race where engine horsepower is restricted — the season-opening Daytona 500. All four cars landed in the top 10 on qualifying day, with Bowman topping the list for the pole position.

Bowman has five previous premier-series starts at the 2.66-mile Alabama track, the most recent coming in the No. 88 while Earnhardt Jr. recovered from concussion symptoms in the second half of the 2016 season. Though Hendrick cars have flexed their muscles before at Talladega, Bowman still says there’s some trepidation among the closely woven packs inherent in that style of racing.

“I wouldn’t say I dread it, but I don’t think there’s 38 or 39 drivers here this weekend, I don’t think any of them are going to say they like it,” Bowman said. “It’s very stressful not to just be able to control your own destiny and you can so easily get caught up in somebody else’s mess, but I definitely know it’s a weekend that we can capitalize on and be very strong as well.

“I talked to Dale because I thought Dale liked that style of racing and he doesn’t even like it. I mean, he’s really the best there’s been at it in a long time, and if he doesn’t even like it, that tells you how stressful it can be.”

To Bowman’s point, trouble is easy to find at Talladega, but it’s true even off the track. One of the venue’s other trademarks is the irreverent party atmosphere in the infield, which draws several big-name drivers out of the garage and onto the boulevard, a thoroughfare for mischief.

Bowman’s strategy there isn’t much different than his on-track approach: Steer clear.

“Definitely not. I’m going to keep to myself and hang out and stay out of trouble,” Bowman says. “I am just trying not to be an HR nightmare … for everybody at HMS. So I’m going to stay in my bus and stay out of trouble.”

Posted on by Jason Lofing

Ray Alfalla scored his first win of the 2018 PEAK Antifreeze NASCAR iRacing Series season, surviving a poor qualifying effort and the chaos on the track at Richmond Raceway. Alfalla started 25th and with 15 cautions slowing the field had plenty of wrecks to dodge on his way to the victory.

Polesitter Ryan Luza fell one spot short of a third straight win after leading 76 of 200 laps. Keegan Leahy was third, Matt Bussa finished fourth, and Christian Challiner came home fifth.

Luza led the first 20 circuits before losing the lead to Dylan Duval, who chose to stay out under caution. Duval could not keep the lead for long as Luza motored by Duval as he made contact with Bobby Zalenski on Lap 24.

RELATED: Complete iRacing schedule/results

Luza again went unchallenged up front until Lap 42, where a pit stop cost Luza the lead. This time, Leahy won the battle off pit road and managed to stay in front of Luza for a few laps before slipping back. Problems in the pits continued for Luza on Lap 85 as he lost three spots. Reclaiming the top spot would not be so easy this time.

On the Lap 88 restart, Leahy led Alfalla with Michael Conti sliding into third after contact with Nick Ottinger. The trio’s battle culminated with Conti passing Alfalla for the lead on Lap 98 and setting sail, opening up a nearly two-second margin before his lead was erased on Lap 125 when Brian Schoenburg was spun around by Chris Overland.

Conti would keep the lead on that round of pit stops but another caution led to a split strategy on Lap 137 with Conti choosing to pit but 17 other lead-lap cars opting to remain on track, including Luza who inherited the lead. Conti would never recover the track position and finished 10th.

Meanwhile, Luza had his hands full with Matt Bussa at the front with Bussa muscling into the lead on the restart. After a few more cautions, Alfalla joined the fray as well, as it appeared the race would come down to a battle between the new front three.

Alfalla made his move on the restart with 12 laps to go, taking just one lap to move past Luza and set his sights on Bussa for the race lead. Bussa made a valiant effort but Alfalla prevailed with seven laps to go. Luza had worked his way past Bussa as well but a caution with four laps to go ended the race under the yellow flag before Luza had a chance to mount one last charge.

Alfalla’s victory slightly extended his NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series championship lead. He leads Luza by six points after five races. Leahy is third, 27 points back, followed by Zalenski, who is 35 points adrift. Conti is fifth, only two points behind Zalenski.

With Richmond in the rear-view, three downforce-heavy race tracks are up next on the schedule, starting with Kansas Speedway, which will wrap up the first third of the 2018 season. With Alfalla and Luza threatening to make it a two-man battle for the championship, the question is, can anyone else keep pace? Perhaps it is Leahy, who already has a win this year, or could it be 2014 champion Conti who has looked stronger of late?

Whoever hopes to rise to the challenge will have their work cut out — the top two look nearly unbeatable right now. However, with 13 races still to go, anything can happen.

Posted on by Holly Cain

In a warm homecoming sort of spirit, Roush Fenway Racing announced Wednesday that veteran driver Matt Kenseth, who won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship with the team back in 2003, would return to the organization next month and share driving time with Trevor Bayne in the No. 6 Ford.

Kenseth, 46, spent his first 13 full-time Monster Energy Series seasons driving for Roush — winning a pair of Daytona 500 trophies and the season title — before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, where he competed from 2013-2017.

RELATED: Matt Kenseth’s career in photos

While the Roush team said it hadn’t formalized Kenseth’s complete 2018 schedule yet, it did confirm that his first race back in the car would be May 12 at Kansas Speedway, where Kenseth has a pair of victories. He will also drive the car in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway a week later.

The organization’s announcement Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame also included news that the Wyndham Hotel Group has joined the team as a new primary sponsor and Wyndham Rewards will be on the No. 6 for Kenseth’s season debut at Kansas.

It was longtime Roush Fenway Racing driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin who introduced Kenseth formally to the gathered crowd of reporters and fans. And he referenced Kenseth as his “favorite driver” several times during the hour-long announcement, speaking about the good feeling he had from his first meeting with Kenseth decades ago.

“I had a lot to do with bringing him here 20 years ago and I’m really, really excited to introduce him here today,” Martin said.

Kenseth took the stage and immediately joked with his close friend, saying that if he had waited for Martin to retire before getting a shot in Roush’s No. 6 car, “I would have been 39 (years old) my rookie year.”

RELATED: Kenseth ready to get his ‘hands dirty’ at Roush

Throughout the formal portion of the announcement, Kenseth spoke often of his desire to not only drive but to be a long-term resource for the team — whatever that needed to be, in whatever role he needed to serve.

“The timing, to you guys, it might seem weird, but the timing was right,” Kenseth said. “And it was the right deal. It’s exciting bringing a new sponsor into the sport at the same time and it all just lined up and seemed like the right thing at the right time.”

And, he added, that he intended for this professional reunion to last a while.

“I think that’s what all our hopes are — is to continue this long term and get back to turning the TV on and seeing the Roush cars up front every week,” Kenseth said, adding, “I would say this opportunity is probably as much about the rest of it — the rest of my role and possible future role than it is just the driving.

“It’s more about coming here and trying to help and coming to see what the farther out future looks like for me.”

Certainly Kenseth’s past with the Roush team was among the organization’s most successful. The Wisconsin driver earned the longtime NASCAR team owner his first Monster Energy Series championship in 2003. And Kenseth scored 24 of his 39 wins with Roush — including the organization’s only two Daytona 500 victories in 2009 and 2012.

“Matt is one of the guys who really put us on the map of the racing landscape,” Jack Roush said. “He’s one of the most talented drivers to ever sit inside a race car and his will to win, drive and determination have always embodied what we strive for as an organization.”

The mood was noticeably optimistic about the changes and potential of the new look team. And Kenseth reiterated he was eager to get racing again.

As Kenseth’s longtime friend and mentor Martin reminded the crowd, “Just because you walk away from the race car for a while doesn’t mean you’re done forever.”

MORE: Drivers of the No. 6 through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

Matt DiBenedetto had a favorite paint scheme while growing up and watching NASCAR’s stars duke it out on the track every weekend. Now, he’s going to drive it himself.

DiBenedetto revealed Tuesday on “NASCAR America” his retro No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford look for this year’s annual Darlington throwback race.

Matt DiBenedetto's car rendering for Darlington

The pink-and-blue lightning bolt look, for DiBenedetto, is a personal favorite. Watching the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series as a kid, DiBenedetto was drawn to the look that Jeff Burton sported in the No. 99. The look helped spawn a love for both NASCAR and a rooting interest in the man known as “The Mayor” of the NASCAR garage.

The classic paint scheme adorned the side of Burton’s Exide Ford from 1996-2000, a period in which he racked up 15 wins for team owner Jack Roush, including six in 1999.

Jeff Burton's No. 99 paint scheme
Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

Now in its fourth year, the annual throwback program at Darlington Raceway will celebrate “Seven Decades of NASCAR” this season in honor NASCAR’s 70th anniversary this year.

RELATED: Buy tickets for Darlington

Posted on by Staff Report

Like father, like son.

No. 9 driver Chase Elliott recorded the eighth runner-up result of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career on Saturday at Richmond Raceway, matching his Hall of Fame father Bill Elliott. The elder Elliott earned eight runner-ups before nabbing his first Monster Energy Series win on Nov. 20, 1983 at Riverside, eight races after his eighth second-place result. Chase Elliott is still searching for his first Cup win.

MORE: Drivers with most runner-ups before win

Let’s take a look at how else the father-son duo match up stats-wise. Both sets of data were taken following each of their eighth runner-up finishes in the Monster Energy Series.

Category Chase Elliott Bill Elliott
8th Runner-Up 86th start 108th start
Wins 0 0
Poles 3  2
Top Fives 24 19
Top 10s 42  48
Avg. Start 12.2 14.9
Avg. Finish 14.3  15.8
Laps Led 926  280
Laps Completed  24,722  25,773

MORE: Hear Chase talk about his latest runner-up finish

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Talladega Superspeedway hosts a NASCAR double-header extravaganza this weekend, one which features the GEICO 500 (Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Sparks Energy 300 (Saturday, April 28 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX) for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. And great seating options are still available at nascar.com/tickets.

With all the amazing racing scheduled, here’s a look at what will be on tap this weekend at Talladega, and how you can get in on the action at the track:

MORE: Buy tickets now!

• Alabama native Darrell Wallace Jr. will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series track debut this weekend in the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet at his home track. Wallace hails from Mobile, Alabama, a little over 250 miles south of the Talladega, but Wallace is no stranger to restrictor-plate racing as he finished second in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Wallace is one of many drivers looking for their first win this season, but they will have to contend with the seemingly unstoppable Kyle Busch. Busch has been stellar lately, winning the last three races and now looks to add his name to the small list of drivers that have won four-straight. None of those winning streaks, however, included Talladega.

RELATED: Drivers with 4 consecutive wins

One group looking to end Busch’s winning ways is the Ford camp. A Ford driver has won the past five Monster Energy Series races at Talladega, with Joey Logano (fall 2015, fall 2016), Brad Keselowski (spring 2016, fall 2017) and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (spring 2017) claiming those honors.

The action doesn’t begin there though, the NASCAR Xfinity Series race will be full of solid action as well. FOX will once again use a group of Monster Energy Series drivers to provide race commentary and analysis Saturday. The lineup includes: Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Brad Keselowski and Wallace Jr.

Last week’s winner, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender and Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Christopher Bell, along with Elliott Sadler, Matt Tifft and Austin Cindric all qualified for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash program this weekend and will compete in the Sparks Energy 300 for the $100,000 bonus. This is the first time Talladega Superspeedway has participated in the Dash 4 Cash program.

Talladega Superspeedway is such an experience that when you buy a ticket, you get more than just great racing. Some of the fun fans can enjoy this weekend at Talladega off the track include the “Big One on the Blvd.”

Drivers scheduled (subject to change) to appear so far include: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Brendan Gaughan, Matt DiBenedetto, Daniel Hemric, Ryan Truex, Michael Waltrip and Jeff Gordon. The event is for infield camping guests, renewal guest ticket holders and fans with infield wristband admissions.

There will also be a Saturday Night Infield Concert with singer-songwriter Uncle Kracker. Joining him will be NASCAR favorite Tim Dugger and locally known DJ Mark A.D. from Birmingham, Alabama. Admission to the concert is free with a Sunday GEICO 500 ticket, and is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. (ET) at the intersection of Eastaboga and Talladega Blvds in the infield of the speedway.

Talladega is family fun experience as well, and the track is pulling out all the stops for the kids this weekend especially when it comes to tickets. Kids 12-and-younger are admitted free in all grandstand and tower seats for Friday’s General Tire 200 and Saturday’s Sparks Energy 300! A physical ticket is needed.

Plus, there is a Kids VIP Experience Presented by Children’s of Alabama available. The Kids VIP experience provides behind-the-scenes access for kids at NASCAR’s biggest track. Open to kids 12-and-younger who have a Pre-Race Pit Pass Upgrade (Each adult must also have a Pre-Race Pit Pass Upgrade) and Sunday race ticket.

There are still plenty of ticket options available and Talladega provides several special offers and upgrade experiences. There also are special offers for military and first responders, along with teachers and educators.

For more information on all things Talladega Superspeedway or to purchase tickets for the upcoming race weekend, fans can visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 855-518-RACE.

Posted on by Track Release

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Let’s Get Ready to RACE! World Boxing Council’s (WBC) current World Heavyweight Champion and Tuscaloosa, Ala., native Deontay Wilder, will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for this Sunday’s GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway (April 29). 

Prior to the start of the GEICO 500, Wilder — “The Bronze Bomber” — will lead the field around the mammoth 2.66-mile track in the Official Ford Mustang GT Pace Car and take them to the green flag to start off the much-anticipated event.

MORE: Top Talladega surprises | Full Talladega weekend schedule

Wilder, 32, has risen to be the most dominant boxer in the world with a 40-0 record, 39 by knockout. Driven by an indomitable will and a relentless work ethic, he has decimated his foes on his way to fulfilling his destiny. 

He is considered the most dynamic heavyweight boxer, and pound-for-pound, one of the best boxers in the world. Wilder is not limited by boxing. He uses his unique platform as heavyweight champion of the world to touch the lives of others. The 2008 Olympian is inspired by his idol Muhammad Ali to become a humanitarian force in the world.

Boxing was not his first impulse. Like many children of the south he longed to play football on Saturdays and Sundays. But, an unanticipated obstacle changed the course of his life. Wilder’s daughter was born with spina bifida, so he put aside his childhood dream and took on the responsibilities of being a father. 

Determined to provide for his daughter and family, Wilder, now a father of four, took up boxing. He soon discovered he was a natural. In short order, he began to shape his masterful career. 

The GEICO 500 is set to get the green flag at 1 p.m. (CDT). Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., is the defending champion. The Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event is set for this Saturday (April 28), at 2 p.m. (CDT), while the General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards race will kick off the weekend at 5 p.m. (CDT) on Friday (April 27).

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Editor’s note: The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing series resumes at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 24 at Richmond.

Stream the race live Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET

iRacing’s a favorite hobby of plenty of NASCAR fans — and young drivers studying for school, apparently. C’mon, William. We see the steering wheel in your tweet. We know you performed a typical William Byron butt-whooping in an iRacing race then tabbed over to your college work for the picture.

RELATED: Power Rankings entering Week 5

There was no fooling Erik Jones, at least.


Prior to Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, Richmond Raceway held a live iRacing event in the track’s amphitheater, including NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series stars from Richmond Raceway’s own CHAOS CREW iRacing team, NASCAR driver Spencer Boyd, and Rowdy Burns. Really.

The race wasn’t an easy go for Rowdy from “Days of Thunder.” (Michael Rooker).

NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series Update

The stars of the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series head to the virtual Richmond Raceway on Tuesday night for Race 5 of the season.

Last week’s winner, Ryan Luza, is searching for his third consecutive win after claiming checkered flags at Auto Club and Las Vegas.

Current points leader and three-time series champ Ray Alfalla hopes to put an end to Luza’s winning streak while defending his 2017 victory at the short track.

Related: Race 5 iRacing Series Power Rankings

iRacing Paint Schemes of the Week

Brantley Roden painted Kyle Busch’s M&Ms Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Richmond-winning Toyota Camry.

John Mustian Jr. created a replica of Alan Kulwicki’s 1989 car — on a 2018 Ford Fusion.

Speaking of historic re-creations, Jordan Werth brought Ken Schrader’s famous 2003 Carrot Top car back to life on iRacing, for reasons unknown.

The artists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

Don’t Try This at Home

Check out this save in an iRacing Truck Series race at Bristol.

Lucky or good? You decide.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Matt Kenseth will drive once more for Roush Fenway Racing, returning to pilot the No. 6 Ford in a part-time role with Trevor Bayne for the remainder of the 2018 season, according to a report from SB Nation’s Jordan Bianchi.

Kenseth, 46, has not raced this year. He was in team owner Jack Roush’s stable for 13 seasons to begin his career, winning the 2003 championship in what is now known as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Kenseth won 24 races — including two Daytona 500s — during that stretch before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing prior to the 2013 season, where he won 15 races over the past five years.

MORE: Kenseth, win by win

Roush Fenway Racing did not comment on the report. The team plans a “major” announcement at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Kenseth stepped away from competition following the 2017 season when JGR parted ways with the veteran and elevated Erik Jones to the No. 20 Toyota.

The Wisconsin native adamantly refused to use the word “retire” last year when discussing his future.

“I’m just going to take some time off, whatever that means, take a year or two … or three months, four months,” Kenseth said at Texas in November. “You never really know what happens. Something could come up that makes me excited and looks like a fit and I’m not going to rule that out.”

In 20 seasons, Kenseth has made 650 starts in the sport’s top series.