NASCARs Matt Kenseth
NASCAR's Matt Kenseth - From boy to Superstar
Born Matthew Roy Kenseth, this NASCAR star was raised in Cambridge, Wisconsin and was brought into the world on March 10, 1972. Kenseth’s family had already been involved before Kenseth himself took the racing world by storm. His father, Roy Kenseth, made a deal with him in which the young Kenseth was to work on and up keep the race car that he wanted and only drive it once he turned 16. That nurtured discipline and an appreciation for cars in Kenseth as he learned early on that there was more to do than just steer the car. His love for cars gained him the nickname “Motor” from his father whom Kenseth also says was his biggest childhood hero.
He began his official racing career when he turned 16 and he proved he had something more in him when he won his first feature event in only his third race. He was racing at Columbus 151 Speedway and Jefferson Speedway near Cambridge. He worked for four years selling and shipping parts for late model racecars chassis manufacturers after he received his diploma from Cambridge High School.
When he reached 19, Kenseth was already being pitted against reputable drivers. His win in LaCrosse, Wisconsin then propelled him to greater heights as he became the youngest winner in ARTGO Challenge series history. Soon after that, Kenseth was burning up tires on the Wisconsin racing tracks with big wins and titles at various tracks around Wisconsin. One of his biggest achievements would be when he won the Miller Genuine Draft National Championships in 1994 at age 22. He was the youngest driver to ever win such an event
After various successful races in the NASCAR All Pro Series, the Hooters Series (1996) and the ASA Series (1997), Robbie Reiser approached Kenseth to race for him in the NASCAR Busch Series. The chemistry between the two was great as the debuted at the Nashville Speedway in 1997 and managed to grab the 11th place. Kenseth was able to bag two top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 21 starts and was able to finish second for the Rookie of the Year title.
Kenseth went on to run his first full Busch Series season in 1998 where he came in second for the championship points and he made his first NEXTE: Cup start. Later on he competed in the McDonald’s Ford, Dover Downs after taking Bill Elliott’s place and garnered much attention when he managed to get the sixth-place in his first run with a major racing event. Kenseth continued to excel in almost every event he participated in and in 2000, he was awarded the Winston Cup Raybestos rookie of the year and during then he also managed four Busch Series wins in Daytona, Fontana, Dover and Charlotte.
In 2001, Kenseth’s pit crew won the Unocal 16/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition, setting a new world record. Although his racing was not as good as his rookie year at the start of the season, Kenseth still managed to steadfastly finish up with good three top-five finishes. The next several years would see Kenseth rising steadily on the racing scales. In 2006, Kenseth had three career bests (15 top-five finishes, a 9.8 average finish and 14.6 average start). He got a career high of 1132 laps, had three Busch Series wins and finished second in NEXTEL Cup championship standings to name the few things that happened to Kenseth in 2006.
Kenseth tied the knot with Katie Martin in 2000 and he has a son, Ross, from a past relationship. His son now races a legends car in Wisconsin and is now getting into late model racing
For the largest selection of Nascar Merchandise along with up to the minute News, www.NASCARsupershop.comoffers this and more. We carry everything NASCAR including NASCAR Baby Clothes and everything NASCAR all at the best prices everyday! I'm not only the owner of NASCARsupershop.com I'm also the senior editor, website developer and a HUGE fan of NAS
