NASCAR: Matt Kenseth could be the Mark Martin of our generation

By Marty Czekala | May 15, 2020

Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin, NASCAR Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) /

Matt Kenseth’s return to NASCAR is reminiscent of the return of former teammate and current Hall of Famer Mark Martin. Could it produce a similar result?

Very few people saw it coming when 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth was named the new driver of the #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet after Kyle Larson was booted for using a racial slur. When Kenseth takes the green flag this Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, he will be the oldest active driver in the field at 48 years of age.

The last time he raced was in the 2018 championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished in sixth place driving for Roush Fenway Racing behind the wheel of the #6 Ford. He last won a race driving full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017 at Phoenix Raceway behind the wheel of #20 Toyota.

Kenseth’s return makes me think of another former Roush Racing driver who took a few seasons off from full-time competition and then returned. That driver? Mark Martin.

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Let me tell you why Matt Kenseth could have a similar full-time return to Mark Martin.

First off, you know the phrase “age is just a number”? Well, age to these drivers is truly just a number. The year Mark Martin almost won the Daytona 500 as a part-time driver for Ginn Racing, he was 48 years old.

Besides finishing runner-up in “The Great American Race” in 2007, he even led in the point standings for a few weeks before handing the ride off to Regan Smith for a few races. Kenseth last raced as a 46-year-old and secured two top 10 finishes and a stage win. As a 47-yaer-old, he then won the 2019 Slinger Nationals at Slinger Speedway in his home state of Wisconsin.

When Martin returned to full-time competition in 2009 as a 50-year-old driving for Hendrick Motorsports behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet, he won five races and recorded 14 top five finishes and 21 top 10 finishes.

He also took a career-high seven poles positions, most among all drivers that year, and finished in second place in the championship standings behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. In fact, the top three drivers that year all came from the Hendrick squad. If you were driving for Rick Hendrick, you had a good cars and were a frontrunner that year.

Fast forward to 2020. The #42 Chevrolet has been off to a good start this year. Kyle Larson secured three top 10 finishes in four races. The team sits in seventh place in the owner standings, and with Kenseth behind the wheel, he should be able to keep it inside the top 10.

This also meant that Kenseth actually had a chance at the pole position for his first race back at Darlington Raceway through a random draw, although he ended up drawing 12th place.

Kenseth has performed well at Darlington Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway throughout his career. These are all tracks featured on NASCAR’s new confirmed schedule from now through Sunday, June 21.

He won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 2013, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2000 (his first Cup win), the Bank of America 500 playoff race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2011, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2007 and the Good Sam 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in 2012. He has also won four times at Bristol Motor Speedway, his highest win total among all tracks.

Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

How will he do in his return to “The Lady in Black”? Find out Sunday afternoon as NASCAR Cup Series racing returns to Fox beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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