Matt kenseth vs brad keselowski biography

Their cars made contact in the garage and were stuck together; Keselowski gassed his car up to get away -- leaving a burnout mark in the garage -- and drove across some equipment laying on the ground to reach his team's hauler. A Hamlin crew member led him away from the cars, but, after Keselowski climbed from his car, Hamlin threw a towel and hit him in the helmet.

After a few moments of pushing and shoving between crews, Keselowski walked to his hauler. Crew members intervened after Kenseth put Keselowski in a headlock; Keselowski crew chief Paul Wolfe put Kenseth in a choke hold and pulled him away. During the encounter between the haulers, Keselowski said, "You hit me under yellow. You hit me under yellow.

I mean, the race is over, and he comes down pit road and drives into the side of me. That's inexcusable. He's a champion, and he's supposed to know better. After composing himself inside his hauler, Keselowski said Kenseth's late hit under caution damaged his car and caused him to fall back on the restart. I don't know what that was all about, and he swung and hit at my car, so I figured if we're going to play car wars under yellow and after the race, I'll join, too.

I gave it back to them and now they want to fight, so I don't know what's up with that. Hamlin called Keselowski "out of control. He's desperate, obviously, and it's either four or five of us are wrong or he's wrong because he's pissed off everyone. Matt was nearly out of his car, and he just plowed into Matt and then ran into Tony and then went in through the garage and cleared out transmissions and did burnouts in the garage.

Just acting like a dumbass instead of a champion. Hamlin added Keselowski "will probably try to wreck everyone" at Talladega next week in the final race in the second round of the playoffs. Then he came around later in the race and buzzed me. It was obvious I didn't really have a plan, right? Kenseth said it was common practice and "pretty safe" for a NASCAR driver to unbuckle seat belts with the engine running while waiting to enter the garage after a race because the pit and garage area are considered off limits for contacts.

His belts were off when his No. Though there was speculation the mild-mannered champion's emotions were stoked by the new Chase for the Sprint Cup format, Kenseth said he would reacted the same way after a regular-season race. After the Richmond race, he came and wiped us out in Turn 2, then came on pit road and took another slug at me and knocked the side off our car.

It's just not acceptable. He swung and hit at my car. I figure if we're going to play car wars under the yellow and after the race, I'm going to play, too. I gave it back to them and they want to fight. Next week's race at Talladega Superspeedway will see the bottom four drivers eliminated from championship contention. Hamlin, Kenseth and Keselowski are all in danger of being cut, attributing to the emotion Saturday night.

Officials said they will review the incidents and make a decision about potential penalties at a later date. Any sanctions would be announced Tuesday. Cinderella Stories View team list. Soccer Fantasy Soccer View team list. Kenseth also finished third in points at Wisconsin International Raceway. The and seasons solidified Kenseth as a rising short-track star.

He made his Busch Series debut that year at Lowe's Motor Speedway , starting 30th and finishing 22nd in a car rented from Bobby Dotter. I thought things would be different. Personally, I had moved and was adjusting to being a thousand miles from home. In , driver Tim Bender was injured, prompting crew chief and car owner Robbie Reiser to hire Kenseth, despite Kenseth having only one prior Busch Series start.

I needed someone who understood race cars the way I understood them. I knew he could drive and he could talk to me in a manner I could understand. Driving the No. However, as it was Roush's sixth entry in the race, the car lacked a competitive engine and failed to qualify for the field. Kenseth impressed by finishing sixth, marking the third-best debut for any driver.

The last driver to debut with a top-ten finish before Kenseth was Rusty Wallace , who placed second at Atlanta in Kenseth also ran full-time, winning his first Busch Series race on February 22, , by nudging leader Tony Stewart in the final turn. In , Kenseth and the No. In , Roush Racing fielded the No. Kenseth edged out Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Kenseth made history as the only rookie to win the prestigious Coca-Cola at Charlotte. He finished the season 14th in the standings, recording four Top-5 finishes, 11 Tops, and an average finish of In , Kenseth finished 13th in the standings, with four Top-5 finishes and nine Tops. In , Kenseth led the series in wins with five victories and earned one pole position.

However, inconsistency relegated him to an 8th-place finish in the final standings. Kenseth's pit crew also claimed their second Pit Crew Challenge title that season. In , Kenseth started the season with a 20th-place finish in the Daytona but quickly found his groove. Following his lone win of the season at Las Vegas, he claimed the points lead with a fourth-place finish at Atlanta in the season's fourth race.

Kenseth held the top spot for an impressive 33 consecutive weeks, breaking the modern-era record of 30 weeks set by Dale Earnhardt in his championship season. At Charlotte, Kenseth secured his second pole of the year. Throughout the race, he battled handling issues with a car that was alternately loose and tight. During a late caution, Kenseth took a gamble by staying out on the track along with a few other drivers.

The strategy paid off, as he finished in fourth place. Kenseth dominated the standings, leading for the final 33 of 36 races, and recorded a series-best 25 top finishes. He spent 35 of 36 weeks in the top 10, the only exception coming after a 20th-place finish in the Daytona Kenseth secured two wins that season, both coming early in the year at Rockingham and Las Vegas.

Kenseth was one of only four drivers to rank in the Top 10 throughout the entire season. Kenseth began the season with a string of poor finishes but rebounded with a strong mid-season performance. After sitting 24th in the championship standings through 14 races, he climbed to 8th by race 26, securing a spot in the Chase for the Cup.

Kenseth finished the season 7th in the final standings, highlighted by a win at Bristol. The season also marked his th career start. He also led a career-high 1, laps during the season. Kenseth began the season by showing promise early in the Daytona , leading laps before spinning out after contact with Tony Stewart. Despite falling two laps down, he rallied to finish 15th.

He bounced back with a victory in the second race at California Speedway and took the points lead after the eighth race at Phoenix. In the spring race at Dover, Kenseth claimed his second win of the season, charging from sixth place with 60 laps remaining to overtake Jamie McMurray for the lead on lap He spent 27 of the 36 race weeks ranked first or second in points and led 1, laps, the second-most of any driver that season.

Kenseth also closed out the Busch Series season with back-to-back wins, driving the No. Following Jeff Gordon's wreck in the Coca-Cola , Kenseth became the only driver to have completed every lap of the season. However, that streak ended when he was involved in a wreck during the Citizens Bank at Michigan, caused by Ryan Newman attempting to regain one of his three lost laps.

The incident also snapped Kenseth's run of 13 consecutive top finishes that season. At Watkins Glen , while Kenseth was running seventh during a red flag period, a shirtless fan approached his car and asked him to autograph a white baseball cap. Kenseth politely declined, and security escorted the fan out of the track. Kenseth later admitted he regretted not signing the cap.

This race marked the final event under the series title sponsor Nextel and the last to use templates based on the Holman-Moody Ford Fairlane design. Kenseth finished fourth in the series standings, extending his streak of Top 10 finishes to six consecutive seasons, tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most during that span. In the Busch Series , Matt Kenseth planned to compete in 23 races.

In , Kenseth endured a winless season and dropped to 11th in the points standings. His best performance came with a second-place finish in the fall race at Dover. Kenseth faced early challenges at the Daytona , starting near the back of the field. After working his way to the lead and leading two laps, he was knocked out of contention when his teammate, David Ragan , squeezed him into the wall.

He finished 36th. Later in the season at the Goody's Cool Orange , Kenseth started 28th but finished 31st. He was penalized a lap for pitting outside his box early in the race and later spun out by David Gilliland. Kenseth retaliated by wrecking Gilliland and was penalized two laps for the incident. Despite recording five Top 10 finishes during the Chase , his streak of six consecutive seasons with at least one win and a Top 10 points finish came to an end.

In , Kenseth claimed victory in the rain-shortened Daytona , passing Elliott Sadler just moments before a caution was triggered on lap due to a crash involving Aric Almirola and Sam Hornish Jr. Shortly after, the race was red-flagged and officially called at laps, securing Kenseth his first Daytona win. This marked a milestone for car owner Jack Roush , as it was his first Daytona victory after 20 years in the sport.

Additionally, he won the pole at Darlington in the Sprint Cup Series , setting a new track record in the process. As a result, Kenseth finished 14th in points. On lap , his car flipped 3. The car burst into flames, but Kenseth miraculously walked away unharmed. In , after the Daytona , Drew Blickensderfer was released as crew chief of the No.

Later in the season, Parrott was replaced by Jimmy Fennig. Despite not winning a race, Kenseth made the Chase for the Sprint Cup based on his consistency, ultimately finishing fifth in the final standings. In Nationwide Series , he won the Diamond Hill Plywood at Darlington Raceway by leading only the final four laps, three under caution, after Kyle Busch suffered a flat tire just before a Green—white—checkered finish.

During the third race of the season , Kenseth secured the fifth pole of his career by setting a new track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A few races later, he ended a race winless streak by winning at Texas Motor Speedway on April 9, A late caution prompted Kenseth and crew chief Jimmy Fennig to gamble with a two-tire pit stop instead of four, a strategy that proved decisive as Kenseth secured his second win in five races.

However, his hopes for a second championship were derailed by multiple on-track incidents with Brian Vickers. Kenseth passed teammate Carl Edwards with two laps remaining to secure victory in his only Nationwide Series start that season. While speculation swirled about his plans for , Kenseth remained tight-lipped, responding simply, "No," when asked by reporters for a hint about his future team.

Neither driver yielded entering Turn 1, resulting in a crash. Frustrated, Stewart threw his helmet at Kenseth's car as it exited pit road. Both drivers had previously overcome being a lap down but were ultimately taken out of contention for the win. On September 4, , Joe Gibbs Racing officially announced that Kenseth would join the team for the season.

Kenseth would drive the No. On October 7, , Kenseth claimed his second win of the year by taking victory in the Talladega fall race. He led 33 laps, the second-most of the race, and secured the win as a multi-car crash unfolded behind him. On October 21, , Kenseth secured his third win of the season and second during the Chase, triumphing at the freshly repaved Kansas Speedway.

The new pavement made the track slick, leading to a record 14 cautions over 66 laps during the Hollywood Casino This marked Kenseth's first victory at Kansas, his 24th career win, and his final triumph with Roush Fenway Racing. In the Daytona , Kenseth had a strong performance, leading a race-high 86 laps. However, his day ended prematurely on lap due to engine failure, resulting in a 37th-place finish.

Later that season, at Las Vegas , Kenseth secured his first victory in the No. He held off Kasey Kahne to claim the victory. At Kansas , Kenseth won the pole, led the most laps, and held off Kahne to secure the victory. However, post-race inspection revealed one of the engine's eight connecting rods was three grams under the legal weight limit.

As a result, Kenseth was penalized 50 points, his pole award and win were revoked, and the victory no longer counted toward Chase points. Car owner Joe Gibbs was docked six races' worth of owner points, and Toyota lost manufacturer points for five races. Gibbs appealed the penalties, and two weeks later, the appeals board ruled that the sanctions were overly harsh.

Kenseth regained 38 of the 50 points, reducing his penalty to 12 points and moving him up to fourth in the standings. His pole award and win were reinstated, giving him two poles and two official wins. At the Southern at Darlington , Kenseth passed teammate Kyle Busch with ten laps to go, securing his third victory of the season and his first-ever Sprint Cup Series win at the track.

Later at Kentucky , Kenseth capitalized on Jimmie Johnson's spin to take the lead and held off Jamie McMurray to claim his fourth win of the year. Following a few challenging weeks, Kenseth bounced back at Bristol , where he outdueled Kahne for the third time that season to earn his fifth victory. With five regular-season wins, Kenseth was the top seed in the Chase.

He started strong by holding off Kyle Busch to win the first two Chase races at Chicagoland and Loudon , marking his first victories at both tracks. The win at Loudon also made Kenseth just the second driver, alongside Richard Petty , to win in his th race start. Additionally, the victory moved him into 22nd place on the all-time wins list, surpassing Rex White.

Heading into the season finale at Homestead , only three drivers could win the Chase. Kenseth trailed Jimmie Johnson by 28 points and led Kevin Harvick by five. Kenseth started on the pole, with Harvick sixth and Johnson seventh. Kenseth dominated, leading a race-high laps for the bonus point. His only setback came after a restart with 74 laps to go, when Jeff Gordon spun his tires, causing a chain reaction.

Kenseth and Johnson made contact, dropping Kenseth to 12th and Johnson to 26th. Kenseth fought back to finish second behind teammate Denny Hamlin. He ended the season 19 points behind Johnson in the final standings. It was also a career best for Kenseth, surpassing his five wins in In the Nationwide Series , Kenseth returned for 16 races, securing 7 top-five finishes, 14 top-ten finishes, and wins at Daytona in the summer and Kansas in the fall.

In , at Daytona, Kenseth won the first of two Budweiser Duels , holding off Kevin Harvick whose race was later disqualified and Kasey Kahne in a thrilling three-wide finish. Although he did not lead any laps during the race, Kenseth finished in sixth place. With the new Chase format , Kenseth did not win any races but still advanced. His best finish was second at Atlanta , where Kahne passed him for the lead with fresh tires during the second Green-White-Checkered attempt.

Kenseth led all winless drivers in points and, despite having no wins, managed to make it through the first two elimination rounds. During the second round at Charlotte, a caution with 70 laps remaining set up a restart where Brad Keselowski restarted second and Kenseth restarted fourth. This resulted in Kenseth hitting the wall. He dropped to 18th and fell a lap down due to the damage but regained the lap as the lucky dog after another caution.

Kenseth finished 19th, while Keselowski came in 16th. After the race, Hamlin brake-checked Keselowski, leading to minor contact. Keselowski drove around Hamlin and pursued Kenseth, who was entering pit road. Once out of their cars, tensions escalated. Hamlin attempted to confront Keselowski but was held back. Meanwhile, as Keselowski walked between two haulers, Kenseth charged in and physically attacked him.

No punches were thrown, so Kenseth and Hamlin were not penalized. The following week at Talladega , Kenseth matched his season-best finish with a 2nd place result, advancing to the Eliminator Round, while his rival Keselowski won the race. In the Eliminator Round, the field was narrowed to eight drivers. At Martinsville, Kenseth entered a turn at high speed, causing his car to wheel-hop and collide with Kevin Harvick , who was still in contention for the Chase.

The impact sent Harvick into the wall, dropping him 42 laps behind. Later in the race, Harvick, having returned to the track, attempted to retaliate. However, Kenseth anticipated the move and slowed enough to avoid significant damage. Despite the drama, Kenseth managed to finish sixth, holding onto fourth place in the Chase standings. Harvick, meanwhile, finished 33rd.

At Texas, Kenseth secured his second pole of the season but finished 25th in the race. At Phoenix, he started fifth, led no laps, and finished third, narrowly missing a spot in the Championship 4 by just three points. In the season finale at Homestead, Kenseth again led no laps and finished sixth, ending the season seventh in the standings. That same weekend, Kenseth salvaged his season with a victory in the Ford EcoBoost , his final Nationwide Series win.

Also in , while driving the No. Starting 16th, Kenseth led 21 laps and held off Martin Truex Jr. However, his Daytona campaign ended early with a crash on lap 41, leaving him with a 35th-place finish. Kenseth's season saw a mix of highs and lows in the following weeks. He broke a race winless streak by claiming the pole position and winning the Food City Later in the season, he secured his second pole at the Coca-Cola Despite a late-race caution, Kenseth stayed out rather than pitting, which resulted in a strong fourth-place finish.

At Pocono , Kenseth started seventh and claimed victory on the final lap after several drivers ran out of fuel, earning his first win at the track and second of the season. At Watkins Glen , he qualified 26th and finished fourth, marking his first top-five finish at the road course. Kenseth secured his third pole position of the year in the Pure Michigan and went on to win his third race of the season.

This victory elevated him to 20th on the all-time wins list with 34 career wins, surpassing Dale Jarrett , Fireball Roberts , and Kyle Busch. In the final race of the regular season, Kenseth started second, dominated by leading of laps, and earned his fourth win of the season. In the first race of the Chase at Chicago , Kenseth started 12th, led one lap, and finished fifth.

At New Hampshire , he capitalized on Kevin Harvick running out of fuel with three laps remaining, taking the lead and securing his fifth win of the year to advance to the second round of the Chase. In Dover , rain awarded Kenseth the pole as the points leader. He led 25 laps and finished seventh, maintaining his points lead. At Talladega , Kenseth started in the second row but crashed on the final green-white-checkered finish, finishing 26th and being eliminated in the Contender Round.

During the Hollywood Casino , Kenseth led the most laps but was spun out by Joey Logano with five laps remaining, costing him a spot in the Eliminator Round. At Martinsville , Kenseth spent much of the race running in the Top 10 before being involved in a crash. Brad Keselowski hit Kenseth after breaking a tie rod, causing significant damage to Kenseth's car and forcing him to lose nine laps for repairs.

Upon returning to the track, Kenseth intentionally wrecked race leader Logano in retaliation for being spun out of the lead by Logano two weeks earlier at Kansas. After the race, Kenseth was summoned to the NASCAR hauler and later suspended for two races, along with a probation period initially set at six months. Team owner Joe Gibbs appealed the penalty, arguing it was unprecedented and unfair.

Matt kenseth vs brad keselowski biography

While the probation period was reduced to end on December 31, the two-race suspension was upheld by both the appeals panel and Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss. During his suspension, Kenseth was replaced by young talent Erik Jones , who delivered impressive finishes for a rookie, placing 12th and 19th. Initially, Kenseth claimed a tire failure caused him to crash into Logano.

However, after serving his suspension, he admitted the move was deliberate and expressed no remorse. Kenseth's actions effectively ended Logano's chances of advancing to the final round of the Chase. Fans cheered for Kenseth as Logano struggled, including a 40th-place finish at Texas after cutting a tire and spinning out, and a third-place finish at the rain-shortened Quicken Loans Race for Heroes in Phoenix, eliminating him from championship contention.

At Homestead—Miami Speedway , Kenseth started in 19th place and finished 7th, marking his 20th top finish of the season. He ultimately ended the season 15th in the standings. Kenseth began the season with a strong showing in the Daytona , leading 40 laps in the final stages. A failed blocking attempt sent Kenseth sideways, causing him to lose several positions.

He finished 14th, while Hamlin won in a historic finish. In Atlanta , Kenseth was penalized for "improper fueling" during a green flag pit stop and had to serve a pass-through penalty. He was also black-flagged for not pitting within three laps. After serving the penalty, he finished 31st, two laps down, and later explained he hadn't seen or heard the penalty flag.

Despite this, he finished 19th.