From ESPN's Jamie Little's Twitter:
RT @JamieLittleESPN: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will compete for Roush Fenway full-time in NASCAR Cup Series in '13. Kenseth and Roush will part ways the end of this yr.
All i can say is WOW. Let the speculation begin as to where he lands. I have to think it's either at Penske, or with Gibbs, possibly in the 20 car.
And as I type, Jayski just reported it. This is fact, ladies and gents.
Looks like the Richmond paper was right in its reports from Sonoma on Sunday.
Matt Kenseth leaving Roush Fenway at season's end
By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
Updated 19m ago
Matt Kenseth will be leaving Roush Fenway Racing after 13 seasons with the team, which is elevating 2011 Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to the Sprint Cup Series.
Matt Kenseth is the Sprint Cup points leader entering Saturday's race at Kentucky Speedway.
Kenseth opened the season with his second Daytona 500 victory. Among the most consistent drivers on the circuit, the 2003 champion is this year's points leader with 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts. He has 22 victories and 220 top-10s in 452 starts.
The team has trouble with funding for his No. 17 Ford, however, since losing Crown Royal after the 2011 season. The team had put together a patchwork of sponsors for 2012, adding Best Buy for nine races and recently signing Fifth Third Bank for four races. But there still were eight to 10 open races left after Roush had downsized from four to three full-time cars during the offseason because of a lack of sponsorship.
At Sonoma, Kenseth declined to discuss his future and didn't comment on rumors that he might be headed to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013. Gibbs driver Joey Logano is in the last year of his contract in the No. 20 Toyota.
"Of course, I'd like to thank Matt Kenseth for his many years of loyal service," team co-owner Jack Roush said in a statement. "Matt has been an integral part of this organization for well over a decade, and we are extremely appreciative of his accomplishments and contributions to the team, and will always consider him a part of the Roush Fenway family.
"The No. 17 is positioned extremely well this season, and I'm committed to providing the team the best resources to continue their run for the 2012 championship. I have no doubt that Matt will do his part."
Roush, though, indicated last month that money wouldn't be an object in keeping Kenseth. Roush said he and co-owner John Henry had committed to covering any sponsorship shortfalls until the economy rebounded to provide ample funding. The team has been using a Ford EcoBoost paint scheme for unsponsored races rather than run a blank car.
"There's never a question of whether we have wherewithal and commitment to stay with Matt Kenseth," Roush said last month. "He's a cornerstone of Roush Fenway, and he'll be part of it as long as I am and as long as he wants to be, as long as I'm able to stay at the head of it."
Kenseth has been driving for Roush for 15 seasons, starting with the 1998 Nationwide Series. He finished runner-up to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the lower-tier series in 1998-99 before moving to the Cup series in 2000 and winning rookie of the year.
Kenseth has had a longtime policy of not discussing his contract status publicly, but the Cambridge, Wis., native said when the Fifth Third Bank sponsorship was announced that it would be hard to imagine ever driving for another team.
Of Stenhouse's elevation to a Cup ride, Roush said the driver "has more than proved his abilities on the race track. We feel that he is not only a key piece of our team's future, but a key piece of the future of the sport."
Matt always did have too much class for the Rousch operation. Good luck to him.
