Nate Ryan

USA TODAY Sports

Before joining Joe Gibbs Racing last year, Matt Kenseth might have bought into the reality of a runner-up jinx in NASCAR's premier series.

But the most successful season of his career swept away any such beliefs.

"I don't really worry about things like that," says Kenseth, who posted a career-high seven victories but was left 19 points short by Jimmie Johnson in bidding for a second title. "Before (2013), I had a bunch of silly little superstitions, and every one is gone. We have control over our car. We don't have control over everything, but if you do a good job, you don't have to worry about it. Especially with this group, because they work hard and are really hungry.

"I think we realize we need to make it happen every week."

The crew of the No. 20 Toyota still might want to be mindful of the performance by recent runners-up in the standings. After his first-year splash with JGR ranked among the overarching story lines of 2013, his follow-up year also will bear plenty of scrutiny — and it won't be rooted in the same sweetness and light.

The most recent second-place driver in points to win the ensuing championship was Tony Stewart in 2002. Since the 2004 inception of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, only twice has a runner-up finished in the top five in points the next season (Kenseth in 2006 and Johnson in '04), and the results typically have been much worse.

Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle finished tied for second in points in 2005, and the Roush Fenway Racing teammates missed the Chase in 2006. Edwards also failed to qualify for the 10-race title run in 2009 and '11 after championship runner-up finishes the year before, and Mark Martin suffered the same ignominy in '10.

After 14 consecutive seasons with at least one victory, Jeff Gordon endured his first winless campaign in 2008 after finishing second to teammate Johnson in the '07 standings.

The sobering history isn't daunting to Kenseth and his team.

"I honestly don't think we'll do anything but build on last season," he says. "I think we'll be better."

But Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip says questions will linger until the next title.

"Guys who finish second in the championship, it has a profound effect on them," Waltrip says. "When you lose the championship and it was really close, you can't get that out of your head. You live with it. It won't go away. After I lost the championship in 1979, I never got over that until I won one."

Kenseth, who turns 42 in March and will become a father for the fourth time in 2014, also is in the unique position of enjoying a renaissance after spending the first 13 seasons of his career at Roush Fenway Racing.

"He exceeded his and everyone else's expectations," Waltrip says. "Can you build on that, or does it become your downfall?

"When you turn 40, you still have the ability, but it doesn't take a whole lot to taint that desire. This is going to be an interesting year to see how they follow up. They might keep going like 2013, or it might be a Carl Edwards year. The hangover isn't a given, but there's always the possibility."

Kenseth will concede to pondering if he'll have another season as strong as last. He led 1,783 laps — topping his previous best of 1,132 in 2006 — and also set career highs in earnings ($9,574,591) and average starting position (8.7), along with tying a personal best with three pole positions.

"Before we put this (JGR) deal together, I was 95% sure I wasn't going to have that shot again," he says. "I don't mean this with any disrespect, but I was almost 100% sure we were never going to be fast enough to beat somebody like (Johnson) to win one again. This year we could have.

"On average all year, we could go toe to toe with anybody. Certainly, you don't get many chances at (a championship). So you hope to be in that position again. With everything we have going at JGR, I don't see any reason why we won't perform like that."

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