Getty RFK Racing will celebrate Matt Kenseth at Martinsville Speedway.
RFK Racing is heading to Martinsville with a special tribute. Chris Buescher will run a green and blue throwback scheme highlighting Matt Kenseth’s 2012 Cup Series season.
The team showcased the special look on October 25. The No. 17 will have Fifth Third Bank as its primary partner, which matches the primary sponsor on Kenseth’s Ford Fusion. Buescher will also run the same colors on his No. 17 Ford Mustang. The major difference is that there will be a NASCAR Hall of Fame logo on the side to celebrate Kenseth’s upcoming induction.
Honor, a 5/3 better 👊🏼
@Chris_Buescher‘s Mustang will pay tribute to HOF driver @mattkenseth with his 2012 @FifthThird design.
“Matt is really one of the guys that helped to put us on the map,” said team owner Jack Roush in a press release. “Mark [Martin] brought to my attention early on and was adamant that we needed to sign Matt and put him in a car.
“He ended up being one of the most talented and productive drivers in the sport’s history and we are very proud to see him be honored and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”
Kenseth Achieved Success During the 2012 Season
GettyMatt Kenseth won 3 races during the 2012 season.
The 2012 season featured multiple races with Fifth Third Bank as a primary partner of the No. 17 team. It was one of the many companies that Kenseth showcased along with Zest, Valvoline, Best Buy, Fastenal, and NESN.
Kenseth achieved success during the season. He kicked off the year by winning the Daytona 500 for the second time and adding a Crown Jewel to his collection. He then added two more wins — one at Talladega Superspeedway and one at Kansas Speedway.
Kenseth locked himself into the Chase during the 2012 season, and he faced off with some of the best drivers in the Cup Series while winning the playoff races at Talladega and Kansas. Though he ultimately finished seventh in the standings while Brad Keselowski won the championship for Team Penske.
Kenseth Won Numerous Times for Roush
GettyMatt Kenseth won multiple Crown Jewel races during his NASCAR career.
Kenseth, who made his full-time Cup Series debut in 2000, became an integral part of the Roush lineup. He drove the No. 17 Ford from 2000 until 2012 and then he returned in 2018 for 15 starts in the No. 6.
Kenseth was very successful during his tenure with Roush. He scored 24 of his 39 career wins with the Jack Roush-led team, and he earned the title of Rookie of the Year in 2000.
One of Kenseth’s biggest accomplishments came in 2003. He won the Cup Series championship over Jimmie Johnson despite closing out the season with an engine failure at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This title was the first in the Cup Series for Roush.
After Kenseth moved on from Roush and the No. 17, two drivers controlled the entry and achieved varying levels of success. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the first. He moved full-time to the Cup Series in 2013 and remained with Roush through the end of the 2019 season. His best season was in 2017 when he won two races and finished 13th in the standings.
Buescher took over the No. 17 during the 2020 season. He has since secured 26 top-10 finishes and six top-fives while winning the pole for the first time in his career. Buescher also captured the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 17. Now, he will head to Martinsville Speedway with the special Kenseth scheme on his stock car.
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RFK Racing Unveils Matt Kenseth Tribute Scheme