2012 Review:
2012 was another strong season for Matt Kenseth. The Wisconsin native won three races and finished seventh overall in the points standings.
He began the year by winning the Daytona 500, becoming the ninth driver in NASCAR history to win the Great American Race multiple times.
While he wouldn't win another race for another 29 starts, Kenseth posted enough strong finishes to take the points lead after the 14th race of the season, at Pocono. He would hold on to the top spot for five more weeks.
During his stretch as points leader, it was announced he would be leaving Roush Fenway Racing, the organization he had driven for over the entirety of his Sprint Cup career. In early September, he announced he would be heading to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013, taking over the No.20 car from Joey Logano.
Despite his status as a "lame duck" driver, Kenseth seemed poised to make one last run at a championship with RFR. However, finishes of 18th, 14th and 35th to start off the Chase dashed his title hopes from the very start.
The post-season wasn't completely lost; Kenseth would go on to win two more races during the final seven races of the year.
2013 Preview:
2013 will be all about change for Kenseth.
Instead of driving Roush Fords, he'll be piloting Joe Gibbs Toyotas. Instead of Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, his teammates will be Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. And instead of Jimmy Fennig, whom with he won six races in two years, Kenseth's crew chief will be Jason Ratcliff, who has one full season as a Cup Series crew chief and one victory, both last season with Joey Logano.
Kenseth is someone that his new team hasn't had on the driver roster since Tony Stewart left to form his own team before the 2009 season: a former cup champion.
Not only should his experience as a driver and usual mild mannered demeanor make the transition to his new race team as smooth as silk, those traits might actually rub off on teammates Hamlin and Busch, strengthening the entire company beyond Kenseth's own car.
2013 Prediction:
Usually, you could expect a driver to get off to a cold start when he moves to a new team. Take Kasey Kahne, for instance, who in his first year with Hendrick Motorsports needed seven races before recording his first top-ten finish.
I don't see that happening with Matt Kenseth.
A model of consistency, Kenseth should have little trouble racing the No.20 car up front week in and week out. If JGR has gotten over several technical glitches that bit them repeatedly last season — and I believe they will have — then this team should be a fixture near or at the top of the points standings throughout 2013.
Kenseth will thrive with his new race team, and JGR as a whole will thrive with their new driver.
Expect the No.20 team to be near the top of the standings as the Chase nears its conclusion, putting Kenseth in prime position to claim championship number two.
J-Mac's 2013 Top 12 So Far:
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kyle Busch
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Jimmie Johnson
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Tony Stewart
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Greg Biffle
12. Carl Edwards
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