Atlanta-based Home Depot will have the third Sprint Cup driver in its history as a sponsor in the premier division of NASCAR in 2013. It was probably the worst-kept secret in racing that Matt Kenseth would be piloting the orange No. 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing next season, but today it was finally made official. Dollar General, as it has this season, will also have its yellow and black livery on the car for a handful of races.
Kenseth, the 2003 series champion, will conclude an association with Roush-Fenway Racing that dates back to 1998. His only Cup start in a car other than Roush's No. 17 Ford was his debut during that 1998 season, when he substituted at Dover in September for Dawsonville's Bill Elliott while the legendary racer attended his father George's funeral. Through this past Sunday's Advocare 500 at Atlanta, Kenseth has won 22 races for Roush, including the only two Daytona 500 triumphs in the car owner's long career in NASCAR. He sits third in the standings with 11 races remaining.
Kenseth replaces Joey Logano, who announced today that he will be piloting Roger Penske's No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford next year. Logano has two wins in the 20 car but has largely fallen short of the immense expectations heaped upon the 22-year-old when he replaced The Home Depot's original driver, Tony Stewart. Stewart won 33 races and a pair of championships in the Home Depot car before joining forces with Haas-CNC Racing to form Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009.