The last race for a NASCAR driver can be a mix of emotions. After all, it would be one last time before they ride into the sunset, letting go of their race car. Such was the case for Dale Earnhardt Jr when he headed for his final race at Homestead. Recently, during an episode of his podcast, Junior casually revealed a certain “awkward” moment he faced involving his fellow competitor and friend, Matt Kenseth during his final race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr acknowledged that Matt Kenseth had a successful career and won a championship. Incidentally, when Junior was preparing for his last race at Homestead, there was speculation that it could also be Kenseth’s last race. NASCAR informed Earnhardt Jr that they would place him at the back of the grid to give room for his family, “similar to what they did with Jeff Gordon in his last race at Homestead.”

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Junior then said, “you’re not putting me back there by myself. You’re putting Matt back there.” Junior commented that even though Kenseth had not officially announced his retirement, if it were to be his last race, it would be awkward. “I mean, it might be Matt’s last race too. He hasn’t announced the retirement. But damn, you know if it is this would be awkward.”

As it turned out, it was not the year Kenseth was retiring from the sport. Instead, he went on to race and finally retire in 2020.

Matt Kenseth finally inducted into the Hall of Fame

Matt Kenseth’s remarkable racing career finally reached its pinnacle a few days ago with his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The two-time Daytona 500 champion is known for his impressive record of 39 Cup wins and 20 poles. Throughout his 18 years of full-time driving in NASCAR, Kenseth claimed victories in some of the sport’s most prestigious races. The historic evening marked the ultimate recognition of Kenseth’s illustrious career, one that solidified his place among NASCAR’s all-time greats.

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After all these years of being a successful driver on track, he finally got the recognition that had been due for long. There is no doubt that his achievements and career highlights would go down in history for generations to come.