Car: #17 Dewalt Tools Ford Fusion for Roush Racing in the Nextel Cup series
Born: March 10, 1972 in Cambridge, Wis.

Career highlights: Kenseth is known as a remarkably consistent driver, which helped him win the 2003 Winston Cup title in a runaway, despite having just one win. Many believe that Kenseth’s championship caused NASCAR to institute its Chase for the Championship format the following year, to prevent future seasons from being decided well before the final race.

Kenseth is known as a quiet type, though he can often get worked up on the track and in post-race interviews, where he is not afraid to take a shot at drivers that he feels have wronged him.

He is married to Katie Kenseth, a fellow Wisconsonite.Matt also has a son named Ross from a previous marriage.

• In 1997, Kenseth took over a car in the Busch Series for crew chief Robbie Reiser, Kenseth’s former rival when they raced together in Wisconsin. The combination has proven to be one of the most successful in NASCAR in recent years.

• He made his Cup Series debut in 1998 for an injured Bill Elliott, becoming the first driver since Rusty Wallace to have a top-10 debut (he finished sixth).

• Kenseth ran his first full-season in the Cup Series in 2000, where he won once, finished 14th in points and beat Dale Earnhardt Jr., his friend and rival from their days racing for the Busch Series title, for Rookie of the Year honors.

• In 2001 he finished 13th in points, and in 2002 he won five races but finished just 8th in the points because of inconsistency.

• In 2003, Kenseth walked away with the last Winston Cup Championship, winning just one race but showing incredible consistency through the entire year.

• In 2004, he qualified for the inaugural Chase for the Championship but finished a disappointing eighth in the standings.

• 2005 started slow for Kenseth, but he came on strong and made the Chase for the Championship, though he could do no better than 7th in the final standings.

2006 so far ... In 2006, Kenseth has run at or near the top of the points standings, winning the second race of the year at California Speedway following a strong run in the Daytona 500.