POINTS LEADERS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are usually as secure in their jobs as tenured college professors. Not Matt Kenseth.
Kenseth, who holds a 14-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr., will be leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of this season after 14 years. The 2003 Cup champion has 22 career Cup wins.
Speculation has the two-time Daytona 500 winner moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, as a replacement for Joey Logano or in a fourth JGR car. Logano's contract expires after this season.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the reigning Nationwide Series champion, will replace Kenseth in the No. 17 Ford next year.
Kenseth's next contract is likely his last big-bucks deal as a racer. Kenseth is 40.
Sponsorship in the stressed American economy has been a problem for the consistent Kenseth's team. After losing its full-time sponsors, the team has carried several partial sponsors this year.
"I'd like to thank Matt Kenseth for his many years of loyal service," Jack Roush said in a statement. "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." n
Contact Bill Fleischman at fleiscb@phillynews.com.
