NASCAR: Matt Kenseth still deserves a full-time Cup Series ride
By Asher Fair
Not to be Captain Obvious, but 45-year-old Matt Kenseth is clearly still deserving of a full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride.
Matt Kenseth, 45, was in the midst of a 51-race win drought in the NASCAR Cup Series heading into Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Kenseth, the driver of the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, had not won a Cup Series race since he won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last July.
But the consensus was that Kenseth still had what it takes to be a full-time Cup Series driver, and that was made extra clear when he announced that Joe Gibbs Racing did not have a ride for him next season shortly before the team announced 21-year-old Erik Jones, who currently drives the #77 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing, the team with which Joe Gibbs Racing has a technical alliance, as his replacement.
The voices of those who felt this way about Kenseth became even louder after he announced last week that he had nothing lined up as far as a ride goes next season in the Cup Series, which could mean his career in the series is coming to an end after next weekend’s championship finale, the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.
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While he had not won a race this season, Kenseth had still been solid, so these people were definitely not wrong that he still has what it takes to compete on NASCAR’s top level. He qualified for the playoffs and missed out on making the Round of 8 after being involved in a late-race wreck and then being penalized for having too many crew members over the wall fixing his car.
Then, he proved that he could still be much more than “solid” at Phoenix. He proved that he still has what it takes to win at NASCAR’s highest level against the sport’s best. Kenseth ended his 51-race win drought by winning at Phoenix, which proves he still deserves a full-time ride in the Cup Series, even though that likely will not happen.
In fact, had he not been penalized at Kansas, Kenseth would likely have made it into the Round of 8, and because of his win at Phoenix, he would be battling for his second career Cup Series championship next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway as opposed to battling for 5th with other eliminated playoff drivers.
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While he probably won’t get a full-time ride in the 2018 season, or perhaps ever again, Matt Kenseth is still one of the best drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, even at 45 years old as the oldest full-time driver in the sport. He proved that by winning at Phoenix in what may be the penultimate race of his Cup Series career — and it may very well be his final Cup Series victory.