JoeGibbs Racing Signs Matt Kenseth

Joe Gibbs Racing announces today that 2003 NASCAR Cup SeriesChampion and two-time Daytona 500 winner, Matt Kenseth, has signed with theteam to drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry with sponsorship from Dollar General andThe Home Depot starting in 2013.

 

“We are thrilled to be able toofficially announce Matt will join Joe Gibbs Racing starting at the conclusionof this season,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing.“Everyone knows what he has accomplished in our sport as a champion and aconsistent winner. He is well respected in the garage and his experience andknowledge will be extremely beneficial to our entire organization, especiallyDenny and Kyle.”

Kenseth is currently third in the NASCAR Sprint CupSeries point standings with a win, nine top-five and 14 top-ten finishes thusfar this season. Over the course of his career he has won a total of 22 Cupraces while earning 122 top-five and 223 top-ten finishes.

“I’m excited to announce what the nextchapter in my career will be,” said Kenseth. “I remain totallycommitted to this season and working with my current team toward a championshipand having this settled will only help my focus. JGR is an impressiveorganization with tremendous leadership and strong supportfrom sponsors like Dollar General and The Home Depot. I’m very fortunateto have the opportunity to move from one great situation into another startingin 2013.”

A Wisconsin native,Kenseth started his racing career at the age of 16 and was an instant successwinning his first feature race in just his third outing.  By the age of 19he was winning races across the state of Wisconsinand in 1994 he would become the youngest driver to win the Slinger Nationals,one of the most prestigious short track races in the country. From there hewould successfully move through the ranks of the NASCAR All-Pro Series (1995),USAR Pro Cup Series (1996) and American Speed Association (1997).

He would make his debutin the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1997 and run his first full season in theSeries in 1998. He has 248 career Nationwide Series starts with 26 wins, 118top-five, and 168 top-ten finishes.  1998 would also mark his Cup Series debut, but Kenseth would not run his first fullseason until 2000 when he would also win his first race on the premier level ofthe sport and go on to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Kenseth would win the NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesChampionship in 2003 with an impressive season that included one win, 11top-five and a career-high 25 top-ten finishes. He took the points leadfollowing the fourth week of the season and held it over the next 33 weeks enroute to the Championship. He won The Daytona 500 in 2009 and repeated the featagain this past February.

Matt and his wife Katie live in the Charlotte area with their two daughters. Hisson Ross currently attends ClemsonUniversity and is racingcompetitively as well. 

Joe Gibbs Racing PR