(WOMR file photo)
Roush-Fenway and Kenseth Part Ways
Roush Fenway Racing announced that 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will compete for the team full-time in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition beginning in 2013, while Matt Kenseth and Roush Fenway will part ways at the conclusion of the 2012 season.
“Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has more than proved his abilities on the race track,” said team co-owner Jack Roush. “We feel that he is not only a key piece of our team’s future, but a key piece of the future of the sport. Roush-Fenway is an organization with a wonderful past and present, as well as an extremely promising future, and I can’t think of a better candidate than Ricky to usher in the next era of success for the team.
Of course, I’d like to thank Matt Kenseth for his many years of loyal service,” added Roush. “Matt has been an integral part of this organization for well over a decade, and we are extremely appreciative of his accomplishments and contributions to the team, and will always consider him a part of the Roush-Fenway family.”
Where will Kenseth land?
The statement from Ford’s Jamie Allison, “All of us at Ford are certainly disappointed to hear that Matt will be leaving, and he will be certainly missed by us and the Ford Racing fans. We are thankful for Matt’s winning efforts and championship-caliber success with the Roush and Ford racing programs these past 16 years, both on and off the track. We will focus on this year and look forward to more success on the track in his #17 Ford Fusion this season.”
With this announcement from Roush-Fenway Racing, and the fact that a Ford Motor Corp. executive stated that Ford was going to miss the association with Kenseth, it leads me to believe that Kenseth will be not be joining another Ford race team.. Kenseth has an agreement already in place, he just can’t announce it yet.
Therefore, with the above mentioned statements, I believe that Kenseth will be joining the Joe Gibbs Racing family, either as a new fourth car team, or as Joey Logano’s replacement in the #20 Toyota.
Let the “Silly Season” begin!
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
