Truck series driver Ben Kennedy feels a connection to the KC area

Ben Kennedy comes from the first family of NASCAR, but he spent Tuesday afternoon helping needy families in Kansas City.

Kennedy, 23, visited sick children Tuesday morning at the University of Kansas Hospital and made a connection with several patients there.

“It was really neat to go and see some of the kids there,” Kennedy said. “One of the kids actually wrote me a note later. We’re going to have a couple of them out to our truck race. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s something that’s really inspiring and cool to do.”

Kennedy spent the afternoon helping pack more than 150 boxes for Harvesters’ BackSnack program, which provides a backpack of food for more than 20,000 local children to take home each week.

“To be out here and give back to the community, especially the Kansas community, is really special,” said Kennedy, who grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla. “We’re having a good time with it, too. We’re making little competitions out of each line and racing each other.”

Kennedy, who will race in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series Toyota Tundra 250 on May 8 at Kansas Speedway, might not have grown up in Kansas City, but he feels a special connection to the area.

His mother, Lesa France Kennedy, is a vice chairman for NASCAR as well as the chief executive officer of International Speedway Corp., which constructed and owns the 15-year-old track in Kansas City, Kan.

“Kansas, I’ve been around the track pretty much as long as I can possibly remember,” Kennedy said. “I remember when … it was basically a hole in the ground and they were talking about building a racetrack out there. It’s really cool to see it all come together.”

Kennedy’s great grandfather, Bill France Sr., co-founded NASCAR, and his grandfather, Bill France Jr., was a longtime NASCAR president. His uncle, Brian France, currently serves as NASCAR’s chief executive officer and chairman.

Obviously, Kennedy’s family is serious about racing, but there is a lighter side as well, which shined through with he talked about the SpongeBob SquarePants car he’ll drive for the May 8 race.

“I’m pumped,” Kennedy said, and he doesn’t care if other drivers give him a hard time about the SpongeBob SquarePants paint scheme on his No. 11 car. “SpongeBob’s cool. I’ve always been a big SpongeBob fan. I remember the first episodes coming out on Nickelodeon.”

He called it “the coolest show ever” and said he’s been a fan since its debut in July 1999.

“If I turn Nickelodeon on today, I’ll still watch it,” Kennedy said. “I’m excited to have SpongeBob on and Patrick and Squidward and the whole cast of characters.”

Kennedy also will wear a special fire suit with seaweed growing up the legs, SpongeBob on the front and Patrick on the back with a special helmet as well.

“If we go to victory lane, I’m keeping that baby forever,” Kennedy said. “It’s not getting touched.”

Kennedy started sixth but finished 28th after a wreck in the truck series opener at Daytona.

He rebounded to win the pole and finish third at Atlanta in late February before a 19th-place finish March 28 at Martinsville.

Kennedy currently is 10th in the points standings, a position he’d love to improve with a strong showing at Kansas Speedway.

“To go out there and get the first pole of the year with Toyota (at Atlanta) was really special, but to get a win with them and get a win at Kansas and get my first win in the trucks series would be really neat.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 9:06 PM with the headline "Truck series driver Ben Kennedy feels a connection to the KC area."