CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Matt Kenseth has kept his name out of the rumor mill for most of his NASCAR career.

When it finally popped up, it was a bombshell: The Sprint Cup Series points leader was planning his departure from Roush Fenway Racing.

Kenseth said Wednesday that he has a new deal already in place for 2013, and although he said he’s not ready to announce it, all signs point to a move to Joe Gibbs Racing. He laughed when asked how he went from begin a guy nobody even mentioned in free-agent discussions to one of the biggest movers in many years.

“Everybody’s personality is different, and I’ve always preferred to do as much of my business as possible behind closed doors because it’s my business and my career,” Kenseth said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.