At 13, he convinced his father to buy a car and race it; Matt would work on it until he was old enough to drive it
Named Raybestos Rookie of the Year in 2000, beating out Dale Earnhardt Jr
Won the 2003 Winston Cup after having won just one race all season, leading to criticism of the points system by others in NASCAR; 2004 saw the implementation of a new playoff-type system called the Chase for the Cup
In 2008, became one of just two drivers to qualify for the Chase for the Cup in each of the first five years of the playoff format
In 2009, failed to qualify for the Chase for the first time
The Matt Kenseth Museum and Fan Club is located in Cambridge, WI