Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, began his Cup Series career in 1998 and retired in 2020. Over his 22-year career, he achieved 39 race wins, 20 pole positions, and 331 top-10 finishes.
He won the legendary Daytona 500 twice, in 2009 and 2012, and the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2000. His on-track success garnered significant attention for the companies that sponsored his cars.
Matt Kenseth’s car sponsors in the NASCAR Cup Series
Kenseth made his NASCAR Cup Series debut when he filled in for Bill Elliott, who was attending his father's funeral. Driving Elliott's No. 94 Ford, sponsored by McDonald's, Kenseth impressed everyone in NASCAR by finishing sixth in his debut race in 1998 MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Due to Kenseth's impressive performance in his debut Cup Series race, Roush Racing hired him and the Reiser Racing crew for five races in the latter half of the 1999 season. He raced the No. 17 Ford, which was sponsored by DeWalt, an American manufacturer of power tools and hand tools. Kenseth further impressED by finishing fourth in the Budweiser 500 at Dover International Speedway.
Following this result, Roush Racing hired the Reiser Racing crew and Kenseth full-time for the 2000 season. Recognizing Kenseth's performance and potential, DeWalt extended their sponsorship contract for the No. 17 Ford.
The decision proved to be fruitful for DeWalt, as Kenseth won the 2003 NASCAR Cup Series championship in a DeWalt-sponsored car. Additionally, he secured 18 race victories in DeWalt-branded cars between 1999 and 2009.
After the 2009 season, DeWalt ended their sponsorship of the No. 17 Ford driven by Matt Kenseth. Recognizing the opportunity to be associated with a top driver like Matt Kenseth, Crown Royal, a Canadian whisky brand created by Seagram and owned by Diageo, stepped in as the primary sponsor of the No. 17 Ford for the 2010 season.
During the two-year sponsorship deal with Crown Royal, Kenseth won three races with their branded car. However, this performance did not meet the brand's expectations. Consequently, Crown Royal ended their sponsorship of the No. 17 Ford after the 2011 season.
Following Crown Royal’s exit as the primary sponsor, Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing struggled to secure consistent primary sponsorship throughout the 2012 season. The sponsorship deals were not permanent, with Best Buy sponsoring the No. 17 Ford for only nine races. The remaining races were covered by Valvoline, Zest, and Ford EcoBoost. Best Buy received the most attention among these sponsors as Kenseth won the prestigious Daytona 500 with their branded logo on the car.
Due to sponsorship challenges and Roush Fenway Racing's declining performance, Matt Kenseth departed the team to join Joe Gibbs Racing at the beginning of the 2013 season. The sponsorship situation remained uncertain when he moved to his new team, with Dollar General only providing primary sponsorship for 17 races in 2013, 27 races in 2014, and 30 races each in 2015 and 2016, before ending their sponsorship entirely in 2016. Other races from 2013 to 2016 were supported by different companies, such as Husky, GameStop, and Circle K.
Throughout Kenseth's final full-time season in the Cup Series, the sponsorship challenges persisted. His longtime sponsor, DeWalt, supported the No. 20 Toyota for 15 races, while Circle K and Tide stepped in for six and three races respectively. Additional races were backed by a variety of other companies.
FAQ's On Matt Kenseth sponsors
A. McDonalds was the primary sponsor of No.94 Ford in which Matt Kenseth made his NASCAR Cup Series debut.
A. DeWalt sponsored Matt Kenseth’s No.17 Ford for almost nine years.
A. Crown Royal sponsored Matt Kenseth’s No.17 Ford for 2010 and 2011 Cup Series seasons.
A. Best Buy sponsored the No.17 Ford when Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 in 2012.
A. Dollar General was the primary sponsor of Matt Kenseth's No.20 Toyota from 2013-2016.
