Matt Kenseth gained one of the hotly debated championships in NASCAR historical past in 2003, securing the Cup title with a season constructed on consistency moderately than a pile of trophies. He reached the height with solely a single race win, a end result that ignited debate throughout the storage and grandstands. One 12 months later, the game responded with a seismic shift, introducing the Chase format. Beneath that new system, Kurt Busch got here out as champion in 2004. Regardless of the contrasting paths to recognition, each drivers climbed the mountain driving for Roush Racing, and their shared success was rooted in additional than simply tools.
Kenseth had joined the group in 2000, whereas Busch adopted as a full-time driver in 2001. From the start, the pair grew into foundational items of Jack Roush’s operation. Their advance was not parallel accidentally. Busch later acknowledged that Kenseth performed a giant position in shaping his NASCAR profession.
That respect grew to become public document in 2012, when Jeff Gluck requested Busch which driver constantly raced him clear and which competitor he genuinely loved battling. Busch didn’t hesitate earlier than naming his former teammate.
Busch detailed the connection by explaining, “Matt Kenseth. He and I developed an important rapport early in our careers. At Roush Racing, the No. 6 automotive was the first automotive, and the No. 99 was the second automotive (in a single store), and on the different store, it was the No. 17 guys and the No. 97 guys.
“In 2002, it was a breakthrough 12 months for me, and I leaned on Matt lots; he gained the championship in ’03, after which ’04 was my championship run.”
That interval marked a turning level contained in the group. Busch emphasised how their collective rise reshaped the inner hierarchy. “We modified the entire panorama at Roush Racing to the place the No. 17 and No. 97 have been the first automobiles. The 2 of us have been simply younger, hard-nosed Late Mannequin racers, and it was simply really easy to be on the identical web page as Matt. We nonetheless have that right this moment.”
However their connection prolonged past normal teammate chemistry. It grew owing to their shared Late Mannequin roots, related work ethics, and a mutual understanding of what it takes to win on the highest degree. Belief and respect allowed each drivers to push one another with out crossing strains.
Kurt left Roush Racing after the 2005 season, starting a journey that took him to Penske Racing South and later to Furnishings Row Racing in 2012. His profession path continued via Stewart-Haas Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing earlier than ending with 23XI Racing in 2022. Kenseth, quite the opposite, remained a Roush Fenway mainstay via 2012.
He transitioned to Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2013 season, later returned to Roush Fenway Racing on a part-time foundation in 2018, and finally closed his Cup profession with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020.
Each drivers completed their Cup tenure with one championship, however as a tandem, Kenseth and Busch elevated Roush Fenway Racing into NASCAR’s elite tier throughout an period dominated by juggernauts equivalent to Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing.
