The former series champion agreed to a deal last month to split time in the car with Trevor Bayne the rest of the year.

It was toward the end of last season and Kenseth had lost his ride with Joe Gibbs Racing, which had decided to move forward with Erik Jones as part of a youth movement.

And while steering a big yellow bus never happened, Kenseth said he enjoyed the time away from NASCAR’s grind, and that he wouldn’t have returned to such a pressure-cooker if it wasn’t the right opportunity.

But his move to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013 created a bit of a rift, and in the intervening years, a program that was once considered one of the gold standards of NASCAR began to slide.

Roush’s five-car stable had dwindled to two, and while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won two races and made the playoffs last year, Bayne has struggled to live up to expectations after his own Daytona 500 win.

So, Roush picked up the phone and made the offer: Kenseth would share time with Bayne the rest of the season, providing his opinions and expertise for a program searching for some results.

“We see a potential for Matt being involved with the company and race team past his driving,” Roush said last month, when the deal was announced.