Matt Kenseth 2015 Season Preview
By Richard Tix
The 2014 season was disappointing for Matt Kenseth, sure, but it may not have been as bad as many portray it as. Much of this had to do with the fact that Kenseth had 7 wins in 2013 but went win-less in 2014.
If we take a broader view of things and look past just win totals we see Kenseth in fact had a very consistent season. Many forget that about his 2014 year, he started the season off constantly running near the top 10 and finishing a bunch off in the top 5.
Matt actually had more top 5's (13) and top 10's (22) in 2014 than he did in his break out campaign with JGR in 2013 (12 and 20). His average finish did slip a bit from 12.1 to 13.2 in 2014, but a lot of that has to do with how much a win will effect your average.
2014 was also a down year for JGR in general compared to 2013, so it wasn't just Kenseth. Most of the season they seemed a bit off. That brings 2015 and a fresh new start. Kenseth isn't getting any younger and his window for his second Cup title is getting smaller year after year.
JGR and Toyota will be bringing in new Toyota Camry's for the 2015 season and that might just be the key to things. At the same time, that may hinder there early season development.
Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:
- I do believe Kenseth will bounce back (in a way). I think he gets back on the win board, but his overall consistency may be a bit down. I think some early season adjusting may take place at JGR to the new Camry's and four team set up. I think he is in line for 2-3 wins, 10-11 top 5's, and 18-21 top 10's which are all a bit down from 2014 (except wins). As always, he will be expected to make the Chase at least, and possibly be a title contender.
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