Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup champion from Cambridge, WI, will display memorabilia from his racing career in a new building in his hometown scheduled to open next spring. Matt Kenseth wants to give back to the place he calls home. And he believes a venue that will display memorabilia from his burgeoning racing career is the perfect way to do that. The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup champion has purchased an 18-acre triangular parcel in the Village of Cambridge at the west edge of town, and construction will begin in February on an 11,000-square-foot building which will showcase a collection of race cars and memorabilia that spans his entire 15-year career. Kenseth merchandise, Internet sales and his fan club also will be housed in the building. Village of Cambridge president Don Trieloff anticipates that the facility, which is scheduled to open in May or June 2004, will bring new visitors, excitement and renewed interest in other businesses in the area. One detail that has been discussed but has yet to be finalized is what to call the building. The 31-year-old Kenseth hesitated to call it a museum, but that may most accurately describe the scope of plans and size of the structure. The business will be operated by Kenseth’s sister Kelley Maruszewski, who currently runs Kenseth’s fan club and sells merchandise out of the family-owned business. The Matt Kenseth Fan Club Store doubles as a video store, and the family also operates a laundromat and the 10-unit Village Motel in Cambridge. Roy Kenseth, who is the track promoter at Madison International Speedway, will help the contractors oversee construction of the project. The building will not encompass the entire parcel, and further residential or commercial development is planned for the future. While discussions are ongoing for finalizing utilities, road access and sewage structures, Roy Kenseth said the response from officials with the village has been positive. “It’s going to be a beautiful building and will be almost like the gateway to Cambridge,” said Roy Kenseth, whose parents and grandparents also grew up in area. “It is going to bring a lot of people to Cambridge. I suppose there are going to be a small minority of people who won’t like it, but the majority of people will like it. It will be good for the town.”( Capital Times )(12-24-2003)
