Matt Kenseth lost his final appeal and will remain suspended for the next two NASCAR events.

What happened?

NASCAR suspended Kenseth for intentionally wrecking leader Joey Logano at Martinsville Speedway.

Kenseth was 10 laps down at the time and appeared to be retaliating against Logano.

Why it matters for Matt Kenseth

The suspension is a significant blow to Kenseth's season, as he will miss the races at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway.

Kenseth can return for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22.

What comes next?

JGR development driver Erik Jones will replace Kenseth at Texas and Phoenix.

Jones said he will do his best to keep the team in contention for a top-5 finish in the team standings.

Kenseth expressed disappointment with the decision, but said he will not change who he is or how he races.

He took to Twitter to express relief after the decision.

NASCAR chairman Brian France said the suspension was necessary to deter similar behavior in the future.

The two-race suspension is unprecedented for on-track retaliation, with past penalties being points and fines.

Kenseth's probation was reduced from six months to two months as part of the appeal decision.

He will be able to return to racing at Homestead, where he will look to finish the season strong.

The incident at Martinsville occurred with 47 laps remaining, when Kenseth wrecked Logano, who was leading at the time.

Logano is currently 28 points from the cutoff to compete for the championship at Homestead.

Kenseth needed a win at Kansas to advance out of the second round of the Chase, but was unable to do so after Logano turned him with five laps remaining.

The crash at Martinsville put Logano in a deep hole in the Eliminator Round.

Kenseth's suspension will be a significant test for the team, as they look to remain competitive without their driver.

The decision was made after a two-step appeal process, which was expedited to have a decision before the race at Texas.

Kenseth's team, Joe Gibbs Racing, released a statement saying they would appeal the penalty, which they felt was too harsh.

The appeal was denied, and Kenseth will now miss the next two races.

He will look to return strong at Homestead and finish the season on a positive note.