Remember, he's the one who caused all of this anyway.
Matt Kenseth went and clinched the 2003 NASCAR Cup Series championship pretty much by Labor Day, even though he had won only one race that season. NASCAR's pooh-bahs punched the panic button, believing consistency wasn't enough. They needed some championship drama in the fall to fight the television ratings war against pro football, the PGA Tour and reruns of Sandra Bullock movies.
What Kenseth wrought is this: A four-driver showdown in Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. eligible for the title. That's one sentimental favorite (Truex, a seven-time winner this season) against three former champs who are described at best as polarizing figures.
They survived three tiers of playoffs in which two contenders eliminated each other by intentional wrecks (hello and goodbye, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott); seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson was a virtual no-show; and season-long contender Kyle Larson was knocked out by his first blown motor in 139 starts.
Matt Kenseth is retiring after 20 seasons of NASCAR Cup Series competition, though he said recently he believes he can still win races and contend for championships.Eliminated in the quarterfinals by a pit-road blunder was the 45-year-old Kenseth, who is out of a ride for 2018. Which is why his victory at Phoenix International Raceway this past Sunday was so sweet to so many people.
He has probably not been fully appreciated in his 20 years of Cup Series competition. He has an incredible wry sense of humor that doesn't always translate well. He hasn't chased endorsement opportunities that would have raised his profile. But he has universal respect in the garage area.
"He's such a good guy," Truex said, "and he's done so much for the sport, and he's an awesome guy to be around."
Kenseth is being replaced at Joe Gibbs Racing by a younger model. Erik Jones, 21, climbs into the car next season, leaving JGR with Daniel Suarez, 25, and mercurial drivers Busch and Hamlin. Jones is a potential star JGR wanted to lock down for the future.
Kenseth has chosen to simply retire, with 39 wins and upwards of $120 million in winnings in 649 starts.
"I really feel like I've got a few years left. I really do," Kenseth said after his win at Phoenix. "I feel like I can get it done on the track when we get everything right. I feel like I can win races and run for championships."
But he didn't want to compromise, to sign with a lower-level team without resources to compete, simply to keep racing. A couple of high-dollar teams passed on him, and there will be days they'll rue that decision. He walks away with his legacy intact - and a win in his penultimate start.
The hoopla this year has been about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s retirement. Kenseth deserved a better farewell. He made NASCAR better, and his season of dominance made NASCAR's autumns, for all their flaws, a little better.
» Last race: Kenseth won the Can-Am 500 to add another highlight to what is a sure-fire Hall of Fame career.
» Next race: Ford EcoBoost 500, Homestead-Miami Speedway, 3 p.m. Sunday, NBC.
» Pick to win: Truex. As a seven-time winner this season, he's the most deserving champ.
» Pit notes: Busch has been picked to win by an unlikely prognosticator. During a media event in Miami, a 31-year-old white-rumped vulture named Peanut chose to light on Busch's No. 18 among the four contenders. (OK, dare you to resist opening any email with "white-rumped vulture" in the subject line.) ... Whether Elliott's wrecking of Hamlin at Phoenix was cheap payback or well-deserved revenge, a bigger question is why Hamlin tempted fate by racing alongside Elliott so long before the incident. ... Fitting for the season, perhaps: One of Kenseth's crew accidentally bumped the Phoenix trophy off its perch, breaking it in two.
» Fast 5: 1. Truex, 2. Busch, 3. Harvick, 4. Keselowski, 5. Hamlin.
» What they're saying: "That means it's my turn." - Truex when it was noted the other three contenders already have a championship
Contact Mark McCarter at markfmccarter@gmail.com.