2013 JGR preview: Matt Kenseth

The new kid on the block at Joe Gibbs Racing is also a Sprint Cup Series veteran. Matt Kenseth, 2003 Cup Series champ, takes over the No. 20 from Joey Logano in 2013, switching from Roush-Fenway Racing Fords to JGR Toyotas.

Kenseth, 40, won three times in 2012, including his second career win in the Daytona 500. He also had two wins during the Chase for the Sprint Cup, at Talladega and Kansas, but only garnered a seventh-place finish in the Chase after his 35th-place finish at Dover in race three.

Kenseth hasn’t made a NASCAR start outside the Cup Series since the Nationwide Series race at Charlotte in May 2011, which he won. In 2013, Kenseth will drive the No. 18 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for JGR in five races.

Along with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, Kenseth was fast in pre-season testing at Daytona in January. The No. 20 Toyota will be sponsored by both Dollar General and Home Depot’s Husky brand in 2013.

Matt Kenseth statistics:

  • Best Cup Series tracks (average finishes) – Kentucky Speedway (6.5 in two races), Texas Motor Speedway (8.3 in 21 races), Michigan International Speedway (9.6 in 27 races)
  • Worst Cup Series tracks (average finishes) – Sonoma Raceway (20.8 in 13 races), Talladega Superspeedway (18.0 in 26 races)
  • Most wins in Cup Series – Auto Club Speedway (three wins), eight tracks with two wins each

Get ready for the 2013 season with JGR at joegibbsracing.com.

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, Joe Gibbs Racing Examiner

Paula Thompson is a long-time auto racing fan, following many series including NASCAR. She is also the National Motorsports Travel Examiner and NHRA Examiner, and covers events, sports travel, and travel for Buffalo (NY) Examiner.

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