(WOMR file photo)
The worst kept secret has officially been let out of the bag! Matt Kenseth is moving over to the Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Home Depot Toyota for the 2013 season.
As expected, Matt Kenseth will drive a Sprint Cup car for Joe Gibbs Racing next year. The long-awaited announcement of that was made during a jovial press conference held Tuesday at the JGR team’s Huntersville, N.C. shops.
“In this sport, you’ve got to have somebody who can really wheel it,” team owner Joe Gibs said.
“It’s a big deal for Joe Gibbs Racing,” team president J.D. Gibbs said.
“I’m excited to announce what the next chapter in my career will be,” said Kenseth. “I remain totally committed to this season and working with my current team toward a championship and having this settled will only help my focus. JGR is an impressive organization with tremendous leadership and strong support from sponsors like Dollar General and The Home Depot. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to move from one great situation into another starting in 2013.”
At Tuesday’s press conference, Kenseth was asked if he had any plans to run Nationwide Series races for JGR. He said, “I hope so.”
During the press conference Tuesday, J.D. Gibbs gave a hint as to the future of Joey Logano, who had been in the seat of the No. 20 Toyota which Kenseth will begin occupying next year. He said that JGR was hoping to run Logano full-time in the Nationwide Series with forays into Cup in 2012.
But, Gibbs said, “Obviously when the 22 car (of Penske Racing) opened up, we knew that might look different.
“We love Joey. He’s been here a long time. So we have a real fondness for him. At the same time, we understand when he has an opportunity there (at Penske), it’s tough to pass that up.”
The 22 car of Penske began the year with A.J. Allmendinger behind the wheel. When Allmendinger was suspended by NASCAR for failing a drug test, veteran Sam Hornish Jr. stepped in. Hornish had hoped to drive the No. 22 car full-time next year, he said.
So, as expected, Kenseth will be changing race teams and changing manufacturers for 2013. This really give JGR a very potent three car race team, ol Kylie Busch, Denny Hamlin. and Kenseth to start the 2013 Daytona 500!
Now that this part of the silly season puzzle piece has found a home, surely it will only be a matter of days that some of the other puzzle parts will get wedged into place for 2013!
TIL NEXT TIME, I STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
