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NASCAR: Five Possible Landing Spots for Matt Kenseth in 2018

By Asher Fair

WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 06: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Toyota Care Toyota, drives during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series I Love NY 355 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 6, 2017 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 06: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Toyota Care Toyota, drives during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series I Love NY 355 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 6, 2017 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 22: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Tide Pods Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 22: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Tide Pods Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Retirement

We know Matt Kenseth still has what it takes to drive in the Cup Series at a high level. He is in the mix to qualify for the playoffs this season even despite the fact that this season has been a “down” year by his standards, particularly due to the fact that he has not yet won a race.

However, at 45 years of age, there is no way that retirement is not at least a viable option for Kenseth following the conclusion of the 2017 season. The 2003 Cup Series champion and two-time Daytona 500 champion has absolutely nothing left the prove. In fact, even if he did, he may not get the chance.

More from Matt Kenseth

We have seen so far in this silly season that teams are going after younger and more unproven drivers as opposed to older and more proven drivers with more experience. Case in point, the fact that Erik Jones, 21, is taking over Kenseth’s current ride in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota next season.

Also, drivers like William Byron, 19, and Alex Bowman, 24, replacing Kasey Kahne, 37, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., 42, will make Hendrick Motorsports’ average driver age 27 to start next season as opposed to the 35 it was this season. It really has been all about the young guns securing seats for the 2018 season this silly season.

Team Penske will add a third car next season, and they opted to put Ryan Blaney, 23, in it as opposed to a more experienced veteran. The young drivers have definitely been getting the nods over the more experienced drivers this offseason, and that may very well continue, thus forcing Kenseth to retire from his full-time driver role in the Cup Series.

Next: How silly will silly season get?

Where do you see Matt Kenseth ending up in the 2018 season? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow me on Instagram as well as Beyond the Flag on both Instagram and Twitter. Also, don’t forget to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions, and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it.

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