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Matt Kenseth, a legendary NASCAR driver, will be entering the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the first time since his retirement. The 2003 Cup Series champion will be joining the 2023 Hall of Fame Class alongside Kirk Shelmerdine, where they will be representing the Modern Era in the Class of 2023.
Becoming the 25th Cup Series champion to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame is a huge milestone for him. While reflecting back on his career journey on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the distinguished driver didn’t forget to talk about his trophy collection. However, in his history of accomplishments, he only has two unlikely trophies that are very close to him that he displays at home.
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During his stint as a driver, Matt collected 39 Cup wins, which clearly shows he has a string of valuable trophies. During the interview, he was asked if he had trophies placed in a special place. In his response, Matt admitted that he has two trophies that mean a lot to him.
Speaking of the two trophies Matt said:
“I will say the original Winston Cup that they gave us at the race track in Rockingham in 2003 (actually 2002) when we won that race. That one actually has a little blemish on it so I know which one it is because there are duplicates around and stuff like that they use, but the one I actually had with me in the car that day and hoisted over my head.
Matt Kenseth continued:
That one has always been in my house. That one and the gold car that Goodyear gives you for the championships. Those are the two things that ever since that day it’s always been on display in my house and I walk by all the time.”
Matt Kenseth's career success in the NASCAR Cup Series
Matt Kenseth has a lot to put on display, but he hasn’t done so since the closure of his museum in Wisconsin in 2017. The veteran driver opened the museum in 2004 after winning his first Cup Series championship. All of his Cup Series trophies as well as cars were on display at the museum.
The Wisconsin native won his first trophy in 2000 as a rookie driver in Charlotte after winning the 2000 Coca-Cola 600. The same year, he was named Rookie of the Year and three years later, he bagged his first Cup Series Championship, the 2003 Winston Cup Series.
In 2017, he retired as a full-time cup driver after 18 successful seasons. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, he returned from retirement to replace Kyle Larson at Chip Ganassi Racing, piloting the No.42 Chevrolet. In his Cup career, he ran 697 races and won 39. He also had 331 top-ten finishes and 20 poles.
