NASCAR: Five possible replacement candidates for Danica Patrick in 2018

Matt Kenseth

Over the course of his 18-year full-time NASCAR Cup Series career, Matt Kenseth has been about as consistent as they come. To go along with his championship in 2003, he also has six other finishes in the top 5 in the championship standings and four more in the top 10.

However, after 2017, his fifth season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth will not be returning to the team. 21-year-old Furniture Row Racing rookie Erik Jones will be taking his seat in the #20 Toyota next season.

At 45 years of age, retirement is definitely on the table for Kenseth, but he may not be interested in calling it a career just yet.

"“I’m not really worried about it but as of today, I do not have a job for next year. Hope to still be racing.”"

However, he may have to, as there has been no news of him securing a full-time ride for next season yet. But the opening of Danica Patrick’s seat in the #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford may make getting signed a much better possibility for Kenseth.

While he did not win a single race in the 2017 regular season, Kenseth hasn’t really declined in production; after all, he just qualified for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season and has missed the playoffs just once since they began back in 2004.

Consider this. Danica Patrick currently drives the #10 car, and she has raced in 180 races and has still never finished in the top 5. Meanwhile, Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 5 in 178 races, a total that is nearly equal to the total of career races Patrick has driven.

Sure, Kenseth may be the oldest full-time driver in the field, but he still wants to race, and he can certainly still drive a race car. And the skillset he would bring to Stewart-Haas Racing would certainly improve the quality of driving coming from the #10 car, even as a 45-year-old.