Expect to see Matt Kenseth in the next 5 Cup Series races
By Nick Tylwalk
Don’t look for Trevor Bayne back behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford until the summer is officially here.
When Roush Fenway Racing first announced the return of Matt Kenseth to its team, it announced that he would split time with Trevor Bayne for the rest of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. What wasn’t revealed was exactly who would drive which races.
That picture still isn’t entirely clear, but it’s beginning to come into slightly tighter focus. Kenseth will drive the No. 6 Ford for the first time Saturday night at Kansas. But a report from NBC Sports suggests that he will be in the car for five straight races, taking it to the Cup Series break on Fathers Day weekend in June.
If this report is correct, Kenseth will drive at Kansas, at Charlotte for both the NASCAR All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600, then at Pocono and Michigan before Bayne steps back in at Sonoma. Earlier rumors hinted at Bayne driving only 10 more races in 2018, matching the number for which AdvoCare would sponsor the 6, one of which has already taken place at Dover.
Kenseth didn’t confirm his schedule but did point toward the rumor being on the right track.
"I’m running a good chunk right in a row, then it’s sporadic after that."
The 46-year-old mentioned multiple times that he has no idea how the No. 6 team is running or what fans might expect in his return to the Cup Series. Certainly, Roush Fenway Racing is hoping for him to run better than Bayne or it wouldn’t have gone this route in the first place, and the fact that Ford has been the dominant manufacturer so far this season is cause for optimism.
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As well, running several consecutive races should allow Kenseth to get on the same page with crew chief Matt Puccia and the rest of the team, which he feels is more important than shaking off any rust he might have from not driving for the first third of the season. His return will certainly give the Kansas night race one more reason to watch, and if he can run up near the front, that will be an instant talking point.