Published 01/07/2023, 2:42 PM EST
Former Roush Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth‘s career in NASCAR spanned 24 years. During that time, he was a part of several rivalries with fellow drivers, winning some and losing some. However, there was one particular driver that he found very difficult to defeat. It was none other than 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson,
In a recent interview with RACER, Kenseth talked at length about Johnson. He said, “It sucked racing against him, because I got beat so much. I think of a lot of different times and races where I thought I was going to come out on top and didn’t. Even in 2013, with the championship. We won the first two races of the (playoffs), and he comes back and wins the third. We ran really well, and he still comes through and wins the thing.”
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What was Kenseth’s biggest duel with Jimmie Johnson?
One of Kenseth’s most memorable tussles with Johnson was at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2007. Championship-wise, the Hendrick Motorsports driver did not need a win to seal the Cup Series title. As a result, Kenseth assumed that the #48 driver would not try to take big risks to snatch a win. Especially when 2nd place still guaranteed Johnson a Cup Series title.
KANSAS CITY, KS – MAY 06: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 6, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
With 29 laps remaining, Kenseth took the lead from Ryan Newman, following a restart, while Johnson was fifth. The race was nearing completion and Kenneth was still in the lead. Then, Jimmie Johnson slotted into second place and began hunting him down at a rapid pace.
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The bad news for Kenseth was that he was on older tires, while Johnson had a fresh set of new tires. So the driver tried to compensate for that by running high, while Johnson tried the bottom lane. So for a long time, the duo kept dueling side-by-side with neither giving an inch.
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The two kept edging ahead of each other for six laps until Johnson overtook him for good with two laps to go, eventually winning the race. Later, the Roush Fenway Racing driver acknowledged that though he was quick in the short run, Johnson was much more threatening in the long run.
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