Ben Kennedy: First NASCAR win was "coolest day of my life"

Kennedy, the 24-year-old great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., earned his first Camping World Truck Series victory Wednesday night at one of the sport’s most difficult venues – Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

The son of International Speedway Corp. CEP Lesa France Kennedy has been immersed in the NASCAR world since birth but since his 2014 graduation from the University of Florida he’s focused primarily on a career as a driver.

“This means a lot. It’s the first time I really got emotional in the race car. To come off Turn 4, knowing you have the checkered flag and seeing it at the start/finish line is really special,” Kennedy said.

“It’s tough to put it into words. I’ll remember this day for my entire life, I’m sure of it, and I’m going to have to make room in my apartment for (this trophy).”

He excelled on the short tracks of Florida as a teenager and won a pair of races in the K&N Pro Series East in 2013. This is Kennedy’s third full season in Trucks and GMS Racing is the second team with which he’s competed this season.

Ben’s father, Dr. Bruce Kennedy, was killed in July 2007 in the crash of a Cessna 310 he and NASCAR pilot Michael Klemm were flying from Daytona Beach to Lakeland, Fla.

“My family has always been supportive and growing up anything I wanted to do, they were behind me as long as I got my education. It’s all finally coming together. This year has been a blessing in disguise,” Kennedy said.

“I think this win adds a little bit of validity for me and confidence for this entire team. I know we’ll have a little bit of a pep in our step this whole week. I think this wins shows us as valid contenders for the championship.”

Kennedy’s win was a popular one among drivers as he received several expressions of support after his victory, both in Victory Lane and on social media, including messages from six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski.

Kennedy also owns a team in the K&N Pro Series East, which fields cars for driver Kaz Grala.

“This is good experience no matter what I end up doing. I hope I’ll have a long career in the racing industry and if I don’t, then I’ll at least have some cool things to look back on,” he said.

“This is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience. It’s the coolest day of my life.”