NASCAR Chairman Brian France met today with Matt Kenseth in light of comments Kenseth made during his two-race suspension for wrecking Joey Logano at Martinsville Speedway. Kenseth is scheduled to return this weekend for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Chief Communications Officer Brett Jewkes said the meeting happened in Charlotte, N.C., and that France was pleased by the dialogue.
NASCAR's Brian France met with Matt Kenseth today in CLT. Brian was pleased with the dialogue. Now all focus is on Ford Championship Weekend
— Brett Jewkes (@BJewkes) November 16, 2015
In a tweet more than three hours later, Kenseth also tried to put the story to rest.
Glad to have all this behind me. I'm looking forward to homestead! #team20 #jgr
— Matt Kenseth (@mattkenseth) November 16, 2015
USA Today Sports first reported the story.
NASCAR suspended Kenseth for intentionally wrecking Logano as Logano led late in the Martinsville race. That cost Logano a chance to win and advance to this weekend’s championship round in Miami. Kenseth retaliated for contact he had with Logano late in the race at Kansas that caused Kenseth to spin and cost him a chance to win that Chase race.
France called the Kansas contact “quintessential NASCAR” because both drivers were battling for the lead. At Martinsville, though, Kenseth was nine laps down when he ran Logano into the wall.
Kenseth sat out races at Texas and Phoenix for that move.
Although gone from the track, Kenseth remained visible.
After Jimmie Johnson cleanly passed Brad Keselowski for the lead late in the race at Texas to win, Kenseth sent a tweet that read: “Good work @JimmieJohnson! Textbook pass for the win at the end of the race when someone is trying to take your lane. #quintessential”
The #quintessential was a dig at France’s earlier comment.
In an interview with The Associated Press last Friday, Kenseth was unrepentant for his actions against Logano. Kenseth also questioned France’s comment about the Kansas incident.
“I felt like I was almost encouraged,’' Kenseth told the AP. “I felt like the comments almost condoned it, the way Brian France said Joey was smart in the way he strategically eliminated a threat for the title. I just never dreamed, ever, that I’d get suspended for going back and evening the score.”