Kenseth has no regrets over end of JGR career

Matt Kenseth (left) talks with crew chief Jason Ratcliff. Kenseth says he has no hard feelings toward Joe Gibbs Racing after he was dumped by the team.

LOUDON, N.H. — Matt Kenseth knows his NASCAR career will soon fade to black.

But the same week he was given a pink slip by Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth hit the road for a Metallica concert instead of pounding the pavement to find a ride in 2018.

“Actually made me feel 20 again for about four hours, which was pretty fun,” Kenseth said.

If Kenseth actually was 20, he’d be an in-demand driver for a Cup Series rapidly undergoing a changing of the guard. Young is cool. And for a sport desperately angling to hook a new generation of fans, 20-something drivers such as Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Erik Jones could lead the charge into the next decade and beyond. Some of that evolution comes at the expense of veteran drivers such as Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion and a two-time Daytona 500 champion, who got the official news this week he was out at JGR at the end of the season.

The 21-year-old Jones will take Kenseth’s job in the No. 20 Toyota. Jones is on a one-year loaner contract to Gibbs’ sister team Furniture Row Racing, and Gibbs had to put Jones somewhere in 2018.

Kenseth’s fate had been in limbo — though it seemed obvious Jones was being groomed for the ride — and Gibbs made the transaction complete, leaving the 45-year-old driver without a car next year.

“I’m just glad they finally put it out so I don’t have to pretend anymore,” Kenseth said at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Everybody can ask you about it, everybody can move on File, Charles Krupa / The Associated Press and get back to racing.”

Kenseth, who qualified third at New Hampshire, said Friday he had no hard feelings toward the organization and has no concerns about his future. He also has no timetable for a decision but there are few options.

The best bet could be a one-year landing spot at Hendrick Motorsports driving the No. 88 Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ride will be open once he retires at the end of the season. Team owner Rick Hendrick has promising prospect William Byron, a 19-year-old Xfinity Series driver, and could consider Alex Bowman following a solid stint subbing last season for the injured Earnhardt.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson said sponsorship dollars would likely dictate who gets the coveted ride. Johnson, who will have a vote on his new teammate, also said Kenseth has the resume that will earn him a ride somewhere next season.

“Matt’s just too good,” he said. “The guy can win races and championships and that won’t be overlooked. But I do feel Matt’s at a point in his career where he just won’t take any ride.”

Kenseth has won 16 races over five seasons with JGR and is NASCAR’s oldest full-time driver. He is the veteran at Gibbs, which has 2015 champion Kyle Busch, Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and reigning Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suarez. Kenseth, 11th in the standings in his 18th Cup season, said he knew for about a year he could be on the way out at JGR.

“I feel like we did a lot of great things,” Kenseth said. “I don’t think there’s anything to be bitter about or feel bad about. We’re both living up to the agreements we made.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2011 and generally has a surprise team climb to the top of the standings.

Things likely won’t change in 2017.

Five of the seven teams are breaking in a new starting quarterback, and it was unclear at the ACC’s preseason media days which team is best positioned to take control of an unpredictable division that hasn’t produced an ACC champion since Virginia Tech in 2010.

The Hokies — the last program to win consecutive Coastal crowns — were last year’s champions and have 14 starters back from a 10-win team entering coach Justin Fuente’s second season.

“You know, the ultimate number of wins and all that sort of stuff, I understand it’s important and it is a measuring tool, but it’s not the only one,” Fuente said Friday. “My first year at Memphis, we had to use a different measuring tool to determine if we were improving. Each year is different. Each team is different. As we move forward, for us, it’s all about focusing on the process and making sure we’re giving ourselves a chance.”

Miami, meanwhile, returns 16 starters for its second season under Mark Richt, including running back Mark Walton (1,117 yards, 14 touchdowns). But like the Hokies, the Hurricanes are among the crowded ranks of teams having to replace a starting quarterback after losing Brad Kaaya.

“We understand how to do the little things right, and we understand how we want to go about our business,” Richt said. “And the players, like I said, 80, 90 percent of them know exactly what we want to do and how we want to do it, so now it’s a matter of them perfecting their trade. So it’s a different feel for sure.”