Kenseth moved up in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He won the series' Rookie of the Year title in 2000 and the championship in 2003. The International Race of Champions invited Kenseth to race in their 2004 season as the reigning champion and he won the season championship. In 2009, he won a rain-shortened Daytona 500 and repeated as Daytona 500 winner in 2012. He is the father of Ross Kenseth.