Defending Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth paid a visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida to promote this year’s Great American Race.

Kenseth played tug-of-war with a tiger before bonding with some of the other animals, including giraffes Cupid and Gaffari, at the park.

The 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion won last year’s 500 and then went on to win the second race of the year at Fontana.

Unfortunately, Kenseth’s early domination did not continue through the rest of the 2009 season and he finished 14th in the Series’ point standings after not making the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

This year’s Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 14th.

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