FT. WORTH, TX (March 30, 2003) — Matt Kenseth just missed another top-five finish during the running of the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Sporting the Smirnoff Ice Triple Black colors on the hood, the No. 17 DeWALT Ford led 63 laps at the 1.5–mile speedway.

Rolling off the grid in 17th place, Kenseth quickly moved up through traffic and into 11th place by the second lap. In what would become a routine occurrence, most of the passing occurred during the first few laps after restarts. The dreaded “aero-push” dynamic made single file racing fairly common throughout the day.

The first caution flag of the day waved on lap 13, but crew chief Robbie Reiser kept Kenseth out on the track as all but one of the leaders chose not to pit. Kenseth inherited 10th place as a result and the restart followed on lap 17. Several laps later, Kenseth radioed that the car was loose, but everything was going according to plan as the team had gambled on the track getting tighter as the day wore on. The first pit stop of the day occurred on lap 41 as the caution flag waved over the track. The DeWalt over the wall crew performed a four-tire stop in 13.90 seconds and gained Kenseth four positions for the next restart on lap 46.

Matt Kenseth maneuvered the No. 17 DeWalt Ford into the top-five for the first time on lap 56. Two laps later, he cruised past Rusty Wallace for fourth. Kenseth radioed the crew that the car was, “…a little loose, but in control.” He went on to state that the car was driving real nice and it was exactly where he wanted it “for the time being.” After a spirited battle with Ryan Newman, Kenseth got by on lap 95 to take over third place. Kenseth led lap 103 for his first lead of the day.

Coming in to pit the next time by, Kenseth’s crew performed a 14.63-second stop for four tires. Adjustments on the stop included adding wedge. At the beginning of a run, the car was loose, but that was a planned occurrence. Kenseth would stay planted in third place over the next 40 or so laps.

On lap 155, a caution flag waved for debris on the track and Kenseth came down pit road in third place, but left in first. “That got us the lead guys, thanks a lot!” he radioed his crew on the way back out onto the track. Kenseth continued to lead through the halfway point of the race until Elliott Sadler’s car wrecked on the backstretch bringing out the caution flag. Kenseth tried to ease up on his way back to the flag and give the cars of Jeff Burton and Ricky Rudd a lap back, but second-place Jeff Gordon also went by before they crossed the line. One lap later, Gordon eased up behind the pace car and allowed Kenseth back by him to retake the lead. NASCAR also determined that the two cars Kenseth intended to get their laps back would be scored as such.

Kenseth restarted the field on lap 178 and radioed that no new changes were needed on the No. 17 DeWalt Ford. The only green flag pit stop of the day happened on lap 224 as Kenseth came down pit road for service. Four tires and a wedge adjustment later, he was back on track. Unfortunately, a very ill timed caution cropped up one lap later before Kenseth could retake his pit stop sequence on the track. This occurrence trapped five of the fastest cars of the day, including Kenseth’s, one lap down. However, Kenseth would be able to restart ahead of the lead car on the restart. That’s just what he did on lap 232. In a reversal of fortune, a caution did come out just two laps later and Kenseth was back on the lead lap, but was now shown in ninth place.

A rash of two accidents occurred on each ensuing restart on lap 249 and lap 254. Each time, Kenseth stayed out on the track. By lap 276, Kenseth was still solidly in the top-10, running eighth. The caution once again flew on lap 281 for an accident involving Joe Nemechek. Kenseth returned to pit road for his final stop of the day, but it was not one of the better ones. Kenseth came back out onto the track and restarted the race in 10th on lap 288.

Scratching and clawing his way up through the field over the next 30 laps, Kenseth made up four positions en route to his 6th place finish. After the finish, Kenseth talked about his day:

“We had a great day. Our car handled really well, but I know what Tony Stewart was complaining about last year with the traffic. We just really, really struggled in traffic. I don’t know if it’s a Ford thing or if that’s how it is for everybody, but when we were in front we could fly. All day the guys did a good job and had good pit stops. At the end with the way the pit deal worked out we lost a lot of track position and we didn’t have the best stop at the end. We just got too far behind, but, overall, it was a great day to come back and finish sixth. The poorly timed caution definitely got us behind, but still, I think we could have overcome that. We ran right by Gordon. We ran with him all day and he still finished third, so I think if we could have gotten out good there at the end we still could have got a top five out of it, but, overall, it was still a decent day.”

With the sixth place finish, Matt Kenseth extends his point lead in the 2003 Winston Cup Series to 155 over second place teammate Kurt Busch. Next week, the tour heads to Talladega Superspeedway to test the 33-degree banking of the 2.66-mile track.

• ESPN.com: Kenseth currently leads points race
• SportsIllustrated: Quiet Ascent: Kenseth steers into early points lead with consistency
• USAToday: Defending champ Kenseth eager to hit Texas track
• Nascar.com: Kenseth has what Gordon wants: A win at Texas
• DelawareOnline: Special K: Kenseth’s early success reminiscent of Kulwicki

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 DEWALT team will have a different look this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Smirnoff Ice will be on the hood and deck lid of the No. 17 Ford Taurus to kick-off a new partnership with the team. The crew will also be dressed in Smirnoff Ice uniforms. Smirnoff Ice will be the primary sponsor on Kenseth’s car for seven races this season, starting with The Winston at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May.

“I am really excited to have Smirnoff Ice on board with our team,” Kenseth said. “We look forward to aggressively and responsibly building the Smirnoff Ice brand. The car looks good now, but just wait until The Winston.”

“Our partnership with Roush Racing and Matt Kenseth will be an excellent opportunity for Smirnoff Ice to build strong consumer relationships with devoted NASCAR fans,” said James Stammer, senior brand manager for Smirnoff Ice. “Such devotion provides the perfect opportunity to promote the responsible consumption of our brands and our car will proudly support our NASCAR messaging, ‘Be Smart, Drink Responsibly.’”

Kenseth heads to Texas as the leader in the Winston Cup point standings. He has finished in the top 10 in five of the six races so far this season, including one win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

• KnoxNews.com: Quiet Kenseth not making much of leading Cup points
• CNNSI: Hard Charger — Matt Kenseth
• RacingOne: Kenseth Stays on Top
• Johnson City Press: Kenseth maintains Cup lead

Samsung/Radio Shack 500 • Sunday, March 30, 12:00 p.m. (CST)
Texas Motor Speedway, Justin, Texas
1.5 miles • 500 miles/334 laps
2002 winner: Matt Kenseth
Qualifying: Qualifying: Friday, March 28, 3:05 p.m. (CST)

Matt Kenseth at Texas Motor Speedway:

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	WINNINGS	STATUS
04/07/02	31	1	334/334	$418,275	Running
04/01/01	27	20	332/334	$80,700	Running
04/02/00	13	31	288/334	$57,050	Accident

Matt Kenseth on racing at Texas:

“I’m really anxious to get to Texas this weekend. We had such a great race there last year and it was the first of many wins for us last season. We’ve already won once at Vegas, so hopefully we can add another one to the win column this weekend. I will also be running my Busch car on Saturday so I’d really like to make it a clean sweep this weekend. Roush has had a lot of success at Texas over the years with Mark (Martin) and Jeff (Burton). We had our success there last year and I’d like to continue the tremendous season we’ve had so far this year.”

“I think Matt will be really strong again this weekend. We’re taking MMR-27 which is the same car we took to Atlanta a few weeks ago. We finished fourth with it there so hopefully we can win with it at Texas. We are the defending race winners and we intend to be tough competition.”

Highlights:

• Kenseth continues to lead the Winston Cup point standings by 138 points over Roush teammate Kurt Busch.
• Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in five of the six races this season.
• Kenseth is the defending winner of the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas.

BRISTOL, TN (March 23, 2003) — Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Racing Team came back from one lap down to finish second in the Food City 500 this Sunday. Kenseth finished runner up to Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch, in turn almost capturing his second victory of the 2003 season.

“This was a long day and I am really happy with our finish,” said Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 DEWALT Ford Taurus. “We started in the back, went to the front, fell to the back then got back to the front again. It was an up and down day. We were awfully lucky avoiding those wrecks, but when we got caught a lap down our car was strong enough to stay out front and get back on the lead a lap.”

Kenseth started in the 37th position, but from the drop of the green it was apparent he was headed to the front. By lap 50 Kenseth had gained 12 spots on the track up to the 24th position. However, when a caution came out on lap 57, crew chief Robbie Reiser made the bold call to stay out when the leaders pitted, opting for valuable track position instead of tires. Kenseth restarted fourth and was running as high as third before finally coming into the pits for his first stop on lap 138.

“I was just little tight in the center of the corners,” explained Kenseth. “But we hardly needed to adjust on the car all day, just air pressures.”

Kenseth found his No. 17 DEWALT Ford Taurus, though slightly tight in heavy traffic, was extremely strong on the long runs. With his car handling well, Kenseth called for no changes during the next four-tire stop on Lap 200. Kenseth continued to battle in the Top 5, managing to take the lead on lap 335. The No. 17 Ford Taurus paced the field for 23 laps before surrendering the lead to Busch with under 150 laps to go.

Bad luck finally caught up with the DEWALT Team when a caution came out catching them a lap down just after their third pit stop of the day on lap 372, under green.

“I knew I had my work cut out for me restarting sixth and a lap down,” said Kenseth. “But when you have a car that’s handling well, Bristol is a place where you can make your laps up.”

Kenseth did just that as he gained his lap back when the caution flew on lap 408. Starting sixth, back on the lead lap and with fresh rubber, the stage was set for a 100-lap dash to the finish. Kenseth made quick work of the lead lap cars, and was in second place by lap 482.

“It think we could have had something for Kurt (Busch),” explained Kenseth. “But I got some right front fender damage passing Bobby (Labonte). That caused a tire rub for a couple of laps which slowed us up at the end.”

By finishing second, Kenseth increased his NASCAR Winston Cup Championship Points lead to 138 points over second place Busch.

“It is too early to be worrying about the points lead,” said Kenseth. “We have another six to eight months before we need to worry about that. Its great to be out front, but I can’t change the way I drive because of it.”

Kenseth returns to action this weekend when the NASCAR Winston Cup Series visits Texas Motor Speedway March 30 at 12:30 p.m. EST, in the Samsung/RadioShack 500. The event will be broadcast live on PRN and telecast live on FOX.

Food City 500 • Sunday, March 23, 1:00 p.m. (EST)
Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
0.533 miles • 266.5 miles/500 laps
2002 winner: Kurt Busch
Qualifying: Friday, March 21, 3:05 p.m. (EST)

Matt Kenseth at Bristol Motor Speedway:

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	WINNINGS	STATUS
03/24/02	6	6	500/500	$74,760	Running
08/24/02	10	5	500/500	$98,375	Running
03/25/01	24	14	500/500	$57,340	Running
08/25/01	38	33	394/500	$51,295	Accident
03/26/00	22	12	500/500	$42,165	Running
08/26/00	22	39	376/500	$35,575	Overheating

Matt Kenseth on racing at Bristol:

“We were pretty good at Bristol last year, so I’m hoping that carries over to this year. We’re taking the same car we ran at both Bristol races in 2002. It’s a tough track, mentally and physically. Everything happens so fast that there is little time to react. Qualifying well and starting up front helps a lot. If you start in the back you are already half a lap behind the leader before you even take the green flag. I wouldn’t mind starting on points this week since I’d be on the pole. Bristol would be one of the best places to do that.”

“I think we should have another good run at Bristol this weekend. We’re taking MMR-10, which is the same car we took in the spring and fall last year. We finished sixth in the spring and fifth in the fall, so I don’t think we have another car that could do better than that. The key to Bristol is trying to stay out of trouble and finish the race.”

Highlights:

• Kenseth continues to lead the Winston Cup point standings by 57 points over Tony Stewart.
• Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in four of the five races this season.

DARLINGTON, S.C. (March 16, 2003) – It was a weekend filled with records and rain at Darlington. On Friday under overcast skies 43 cars took to the track “too tough to tame” for qualifying. Matt Kenseth would place the No. 17 DEWALT Ford in the 12th place starting position with a fast lap time of 29.156 seconds. Elliott Sadler would take home his first ever Winston Cup pole with a fast lap time of 28.902 seconds. After rain soaked the track Saturday afternoon, the DEWALT team prepared to race on a green track Sunday.

The 43-car field took the green and Sadler immediately jumped into the lead. Kenseth remained in 12th and on lap six the first caution of the day flew when the No. 01 spun in turn one. As the field rounded the track and went low to miss the accident, the No. 42 ran into the left side of the No. 17 causing severe damage and requiring the No. 17 to come in and pit when the leaders did not.

The DEWALT team went to work trying to straighten out as much sheet metal as possible and Kenseth returned to the track for the green in 42nd. This would prove to be a minor set back as Kenseth began moving his way through the field one car at a time. By lap 20 he was in 36th and by lap 68, 17th. The team pitted on lap 69, under caution, for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment in DEWALT team fashion knocking off a 14.25-second stop.

Kenseth resumed under green in the 17th position and continued to move his way to the front. By lap 117 Kenseth found himself in the top 10 and he radioed that the car was working great in turns one and two but he was having some handling problems in three and four. While the No. 17 Ford continued to move forward, the No. 6 and No. 8 battled up front for the lead. On lap 124 Kenseth radioed that he was feeling a slight vibration but thought is was just tire wear. The team came in to pit on lap 131 taking on four tires, fuel and making another wedge adjustment in just 13.29 seconds. After further study, it was determined that a missing wheel weight on the left front may have been causing the vibration.

Kenseth continued to run strong and by lap 145, in third, was contending for the lead with the No. 6 and No. 24. The car was beginning to tighten up but the sun was also beginning to shine, changing the track. Because of handling, Kenseth fell back to seventh but as the run went on, the car became better just in time for Kenseth to pit again. Meanwhile, the No. 24, No. 38, No. 97 and No. 32 battled up front for the lead. The No. 24 proved to be the dominant car until lap 270 when he fell off after hitting the wall. Kenseth returned to the track after the last round of pit stops in ninth but as the laps went on, the car got tighter. Kenseth didn’t give up and muscled his way into eighth for the finish.

“That was a good finish because it started off not looking too good,” said Kenseth. “I don’t know, on that first wreck I slowed down and just got run over and tore our car all to pieces. Luckily, it didn’t hit any of the tires and damage anything too bad. It probably didn’t run any worse than it would have once it got hit.”

Kenseth continued, “The No. 17 DEWALT Ford was an average car at best. Thankfully, through those middle runs that were long greens, we were able to have a decent handling car and stay on the lead lap and keep ourselves in decent position. That was the key. We had a couple runs where we had a terrible handling car. If that would have happened under green, we probably would have gotten lapped.”

After a heated battle on the last lap, Ricky Craven would beat out Kurt Busch by only inches for the win while Dave Blaney finished third. Kenseth and the DEWALT team maintain their position at the top of the Winston Cup point standings heading into the sixth race of the 2003 season, Bristol.

Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 • Sunday, March 16, 1:00 p.m. (EST)
Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
1.366 miles • 400 miles/293 laps
2002 winner: Sterling Marlin
Qualifying: Friday, March 14, 2:35 p.m. (EST)

Matt Kenseth’s History at Darlington Raceway:

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	WINNINGS	STATUS
03/17/02	34	8	293/293	$70,365	Running
09/01/02	9	37	325/367	$61,000	Running
03/18/01	30	17	292/293	$43,640	Running
09/02/01	28	23	365/367	$50,025	Accident
03/19/00	16	6	293/293	$47,575	Running
09/03/00	24	33	286/328	$41,675	Running
09/05/99	31	37	145/270	$25,531	Accident

Matt Kenseth on racing at Darlington:

“I love Darlington, it’s a great track, but you either love it or hate it. The groove is so narrow that you literally run right up against the wall. The pavement is really worn out, so the tires drop off fast. You start off fast then you are a second or two seconds slower by the end of the run. Because we run so close to the wall is why many cars get the famous ‘Darlington Stripe’ on the side. We’ve had a few of those so what we are interested in now is another win or at least a top-five. I’d like to keep the points lead, even though it’s too early to worry about that.”

Robbie Reiser on racing at Darlington:

“We don’t prepare for Darlington any differently than we do for any other race. You just have to remember to save your tires and stay off the wall there. It’s a tough track but we had a good run there last spring. We’re taking the same car we ran at Rockingham last month, which was new then. We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing in the first four races. We need to make sure the car is handling the best it can and keep up the good work in the pits.”

Highlights:

• Kenseth took the Winston Cup point lead with his fourth place finish in Atlanta.
• He was the highest finishing Ford in Atlanta.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Matt Kenseth and the DEWALT pit crew have been one of the most consistent competitors on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit in the first four races. Kenseth earned his third top-five finish in only four races, and the DEWALT pit crew continued their record of consistent pit stops under 14 seconds. The combination has made Kenseth the current leader in the Winston Cup points.

“I guess it doesn’t really matter this early in the year, but it’s better to be ahead than behind,” Kenseth said. “We’ll take that and build on what we did in Atlanta and hopefully, we’ll have a good run at Darlington this week.

“I enjoy racing at Darlington. It is always a challenge to find the right balance between being aggressive and saving your tires. We’re taking the same car that finished third at Rockingham last month, so with any luck it will be just as good at Darlington.”

Once again the DEWALT pit crew played a big role in helping Kenseth move into the points lead. The team was on top of their game in Atlanta with the majority of their stops clocking-in under 14 seconds.

“The guys have been amazing this season,” Kenseth said. “Even though we had a little turnover in the off-season, it’s like nothing changed. Their stops are still flawless and they are consistently helping me gain positions in the pits. They helped win the race for me in Las Vegas two weeks ago, and in Atlanta and Rockingham they put me in a position to be up front and have a shot at the end.”

This weekend Kenseth and the DEWALT team hope to keep their consistency going at Darlington Raceway. Kenseth finished eighth in last year’s spring race there and intends to improve on that this year.

• Nascar.com: Kenseth takes points lead after tough battle
• Tennesseean.com: Kenseth content with success despite lack of recognition
• ThatsRacin.com: Matt Kenseth moves into lead in early season point standings
• Tennesseean.com: Kenseth without power steering, but leads points

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 9, 2003) — Matt Kenseth took home top Ford honors in the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kenseth’s fourth place finish was the top finishing Ford and the result vaulted the team into the Winston Cup point lead.

Kenseth reflected on the good news from pit road following the race.

“I guess it doesn’t really matter this early in the year, but it’s better to be ahead than behind. We’ll take that and build on what we did today and, hopefully, we’ll have a good run at Darlington next week.”

After starting 23rd, Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser adjusted and worked on the No. 17 DEWALT Ford throughout the event. At times it was a challenge as Kenseth was alternately loose, then tight during the long green flag runs early in the race. Kenseth’s over the wall pit crew lived up to their reputation earning him several spots with numerous pit stops under 14 seconds.

Just a little past the halfway point in the race, Kenseth had planted himself firmly in the top-10, running up against a slew of Chevrolets. Kenseth steadily and methodically picked off half of them en route to the front of the field with 100 laps to go. Kenseth moved into third place, but had a bizarre power steering pump failure in the waning laps that caused the No. 17 DEWALT car to steer erratically at times. “It felt like I was loosing the power steering, but then it would come back,” he said. “I wished it would just drain completely out so it would be consistent.” The steering challenge caused Kenseth to lose one position to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with less than a dozen laps to go.

Afterward, Kenseth beamed from pit road as he talked about his hard fought finish.

“Yeah, on the long run we were better than anybody on the last 20 laps of a run. I felt good about that and if it would have gone green to the end, I felt pretty good about our car. On the short run I’d get hurt a little bit, but it was a great effort. We found our way all the way up there. We struggled for a lot of the day and got it good when we needed it to be at the end.”

Kenseth now leads the 2003 Winston Cup point standings by 49 points heading into next week’s event at Darlington Raceway.

• FoxSports.com: Reiser-Kenseth have family bond, success like Inman-Petty
• SportingNews.com: Kenseth’s pit crew comes through at Vegas
• SpeedwayMedia: The DeWalt Pit Crew Dominates, Puts Egg on This Writer’s Face!
• RacingOne: Kenseth Vegas Headliner
• ESPN.com: Kenseth now second in points
• Nascar.com: Roush Racing does it again at Las Vegas
• USAToday.com: Kenseth keeps Roush success rolling at Las Vegas
• ThatsRacin.com: Kenseth pulls away for win
• Orlando Sentinel: Fast stop sends Kenseth to victory
• Richmond Times-Dispatch: Kenseth cruises to win
• Speed Channel: Kenseth Conquers Las Vegas
• JournalNow.com: Fast pit stop sets up win for Roush driver
• Team Ford Racing: Kenseth Tools Way to Victory Circle
• Las Vegas Review Journal: Leading Las Vegas: Kenseth cruises to win
• Las Vegas Sun: Another Roush hour
• Gaston Gazette: Pit crew allows Kenseth to run away with win at Las Vegas

Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 • Sunday, March 9, 1:00 p.m. (EST)
Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.
1.54 miles • 500 miles/325 laps
2002 winner: Tony Stewart
Qualifying: Friday, March 7, 3:05 p.m. (EST)

Matt Kenseth’s History at Atlanta:

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	WINNINGS	STATUS
03/10/02	32	4	325/325	$91,700	Running
10/27/02	9	9	248/248	$82,275	Running
03/11/01	38	37	273/325	$42,080	Engine
11/18/01	23	17	325/325	$63,275	Running
03/12/00	4	40	199/325	$32,700	Engine
11/10/00	23	9	324/325	$54,750	Running

Matt Kenseth on racing at Atlanta:

“I’m looking forward to Atlanta, especially coming off a win in Las Vegas. Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks because you can run on the top or the bottom depending on what your car wants. If one doesn’t work for you, chances are you can change your line and find something that works better. I think Atlanta is probably one of the most fun tracks we race at all year.”

Robbie Reiser on racing at Atlanta:

“This week we are taking a brand new car to Atlanta. I’m hoping that car performs as well as the car we raced in Las Vegas. I am so proud of our DEWALT team. Their pit stops were great all day and that is the kind of consistency that wins races. I know Matt really likes racing at Atlanta so if we can get the car right for him and get him out of the pits first, there is no reason why we can’t go for two in a row.”

Highlights

• Led all Winston Cup Series drivers with five victories in 2002.
• With a win at Las Vegas, moved to second in the point standings, only three points out of the lead.
• Earned the 269th victory for Roush Racing with the win in Las Vegas.  

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 4, 2003) — It was déjà vu for the No. 17 DEWALT team and driver Matt Kenseth on Sunday in Las Vegas. Kenseth visited victory lane five times in 2002, the most of any other Winston Cup driver, in part due to his lightning fast pit crew, and Las Vegas was no exception. With pit stop times in the low 14-second range, Kenseth’s team hit lug nut after lug nut and put Kenseth in position to run up front and win, his seventh career victory.

“We just had an awesome pit crew,” said Kenseth. “The DEWALT team had some turnover this winter, but these guys are still the world champions. They worked really hard to get me out of the pits and it was key to be out front on Sunday.”

Of course Kenseth is referring to his back-to-back World Champion pit crew. In the off-season the DEWALT team underwent an overhaul replacing three out of seven over-the-wall members. It appears the team hasn’t missed a beat and judging by their Las Vegas performance, Kenseth will be making more trips to victory lane in the future in the No. 17 DEWALT Ford.

“I can’t believe the year we had last year and the start to this year, it’s just unbelievable,” said Kenseth. “It’s a huge confidence boost for our team. We had a little turnover in people. We’ve got a couple new tire changers and a new tire carrier, so the confidence for those guys is big. Last week they were down on themselves because we didn’t quite have the pit stop we wished at the end and it possibly could have taken us out of contention. This week they won the race for me.”

Kenseth will also tell you a good team and coach is key to a good pit crew. “One of our tire changers has never changed tires in any division over the wall in his life. He’s carried tires, but he’s never changed tires. So to do that and today to do it on a championship level and throw those people together is just a huge testament to how

hard all our guys work and how organized Robbie (Reiser, crew chief) and Jack (Roush) and everybody at Roush Racing is. The will and desire for those guys to win and how hard they work makes me so proud of my team.”

To date, Kenseth has one win and two top-five finishes in 2003. He has also moved to second in the overall Winston Cup point standings. Look for big things from this team in 2003. With a fast racecar and quick pit crew, Kenseth has the recipe for success and possibly a championship.

LAS VEGAS (March 2, 2003) — Matt Kenseth quietly worked his way up to the front of the pack in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, but once he took the lead on lap172, he absolutely dominated the remainder of the event. Kenseth diced his way through the field with a great handling car and the DEWALT over-the-wall crew executed every stop flawlessly, affording the team their first win of the 2003 season.

Kenseth started the 267-lap event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 17th. By lap 15 he was running in 15th, and he radioed to crew chief Robbie Reiser that the car’s balance was pretty good. This would spell trouble for the competition, because only minor adjustments were needed to get the DEWALT Ford so dialed-in that once Kenseth passed a car, it was only a matter of laps before they couldn’t read his rear bumper.

Kenseth cracked into the top 10 for the first time on lap 34, and he would continue to maintain position until pitting under green on lap 48. Prior to the stop he requested that one-half pound of air be taken out of the right rear to remedy a loose condition he was feeling in the corner. He brought the No. 17 down pit road in fourth, and after the cycle of stops he found himself running in 11th.

“The car feels as good as it’s going to get,” said Kenseth on lap 67 while running in ninth. “I know I’m not running up there with the leaders yet, but the car couldn’t be any better.”

“That’s okay,” said Reiser. “You’re doing a great job. Just keep running your race and we’ll get up there.”

Later in the run, Kenseth radioed in on lap 92 that the track was changing and he was getting tight in the corners. He called to have one full pound of pressure taken out of the left rear during his next stop. The opportunity came on lap 99 when the first of six caution flags flew. Kenseth brought the car down pit road in ninth place for four tires, fuel and adjustments, and the crew knocked off a fast stop and sent him back out in sixth.

Racing resumed on lap 106, and unfortunately Kenseth was shuffled back a few positions because he got hung up by some lapped cars. The race was only green for 10 laps, however, before the second caution flag flew on lap 116. Kenseth brought the car in this time for right side tires and fuel only. The crew serviced the car and sent him back into competition in fifth.

The field was unleashed again on lap120, and at this point Kenseth began to show just how strong the DEWALT Ford really was. On lap 124, after overtaking fourth place, he radioed in that the car was really digging on the new right side tires. He remained in fourth until the third caution on lap 126. Kenseth and team opted to stay out and they took the next green flag on lap 130 still riding in fourth.

Things were only up to full speed for two laps before the fourth caution came out on lap 132. Reiser told Kenseth to pit only if the leaders did. Well, the leader didn’t pit but the two competitors behind him did, along with most of the field. Kenseth stayed out, and he radioed in that he may have made a mistake. Reiser told him that it was okay, and they would just wait and see how everything shook out.

Action continued on lap 137 with Kenseth running in second. He radioed in that the car was a little too loose, but he was able to maintain second until the fifth caution on lap 165. He brought the car in for four tires, fuel and adjustments and was back underway in second.

The green flag waved again on lap 170, and by lap 172 Kenseth blasted into the lead with ease. He told Reiser that the car was really good and it showed as he began to pull away from the rest of the field. Kenseth opened up a huge lead during the extended green flag run, and by the time he pitted under green on lap 227 he had about a four-second lead. This would allow the crew a bit of a cushion during the stop, but they didn’t need it as they clicked off a 14.09-second four-tire stop and sent Kenseth back out with an enormous lead. Kenseth never let up in the closing laps, and he went on to take the checkered flag in dominating fashion.

The DEWALT team moved up four positions to second in the overall standings with their win, and they are only three points out of first heading into the next event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 9.

“I’m really proud of this team. We made a few changes to the crew during the off-season, and for them to perform like they did today is just a testament to how hard they work and how dedicated they are.

“I knew we were going to be pretty good after the first few laps, because the car’s balance was really good. We made a few air pressure adjustments here and there to keep up with the track, but that’s about all it needed. Once we got out front the thing just took off.

“I was afraid I messed us up when I stayed out with (Dale) Junior during that stop, but the track position we gained ended up working out for us. Sometimes you just have those days when everything works out for you no matter what, and today was one of those days for the DEWALT team.”