|
Martinsville Sprint Cup recap
March 30, 2008 No. 17
DeWALT FORD FUSION RECAP:
KENSETH ESCAPES MARTINSVILLE MAYHEM
WITH 30TH-PLACE FINISH
|
Kenseth’s
Goody’s Cool
Orange 500
Race Summary
Start: 28th
Mid-race: 20th
50 to go: 30th
Finish: 30th
High: 15th
Low: 43rd
Laps in top 15: 1
Laps: 496/500
Led: 0
Status: Running
Points: 73
Earnings: $117,066
Points Summary
Race Total: 73 points
Season Total: 677 points
Ranked: 15th,
238 points
behind first |
 Photos from Martinsville
After
enjoying a week off, Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Ford Fusion
team were eager to go racing. However, Kenseth and crew were
none-too-excited to unload this weekend at Martinsville Speedway — a
track notorious for being a thorn in the side of the No. 17 team.
Though Kenseth and company were hoping for the best, they struggled
with handling issues throughout each of the weekend’s practice
sessions and laid down a less than stellar 28th-place qualifying
lap. During Sunday’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500, the No. 17 team came
face-to-face with trouble in the form of just about anything from
handling issues to an accident and even a two-lap penalty. By day’s
end, Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT team escaped Martinsville with a
30th-place finish.
Handling was a problem for Kenseth from the drop of the green
flag as he had his hands full with a loose-handling race car,
reporting that the DEWALT Ford was “really loose in the gas.” The
first caution waved on lap 20 and gave the team its first
opportunity to work on the DEWALT Ford. Kenseth entered the pits on
lap 22 in 27th position and crew chief Chip Bolin directed them to
change two right-side tires and make a track bar adjustment. When
green-flag racing resumed on lap 24, Kenseth was scored in 25th
position.
An extremely loose-handling condition continued to plague the
DEWALT Ford and by the second caution on lap 43, Kenseth was
reporting that his Ford was, “so loose I can’t even drive it.”
Again, Bolin called Kenseth to pit road in hopes of remedying the
loose handling problems. In what should have been a routine stop for
four tires and a track bar adjustment, trouble again found the
DEWALT team. As Kenseth was entering his pit stall, he was tapped in
the close quarters of the pits by another competitor and ultimately
pitted outside of his pit stall. The pit road mishap resulted in the
loss of a lap for Kenseth and crew. When green flag racing commenced
on lap 48, Kenseth was scored 43rd, down a lap.
Over the next 165 laps Kenseth gradually made up ground and on
lap 213, he returned to the lead lap after receiving the Lucky Dog
award. When it looked as though Kenseth was en route to his typical
come from behind to capture a solid finish, trouble again befell the
DEWALT team. On lap 328, when Kenseth was running in 15th place —
his highest position of the day, he was tagged from behind and sent
up the track. The contact with the other competitor caused severe
damage to the No. 17. The time spent in the pits trying to repair
the DEWALT Ford would prove costly to the team, as two laps were
lost in the process.
Kenseth rejoined the race on lap 332 in 31st place, two laps down
to the leader. Down, but not out, he forged ahead and worked to
regain track positions. However, mechanical failure on 361 resulted
in Kenseth making contact with another competitor and thus causing
more damage to the No. 17. On lap 364, Kenseth was in the pits again
for repairs, when NASCAR announced they were penalizing him for
“aggressive driving” from the previous lap’s incident. The two-lap
penalty was served and Kenseth returned to the track on lap 367 in
34th place, four laps down to the leaders.
Though Kenseth would continue to make laps around the .526-mile
Virginia track, too much was lost and by day’s end, the DEWALT team
finished the race in 30th position, four laps down to race winner
Denny Hamlin.
“Every time we made up a little ground, we kept getting wrecked,
or whatever the case turned out to be,” Kenseth said following the
race. “We were so far off in the beginning and then I got spun out
on pit road and pitted out of the box. That cost us a lap and it
took us 200 laps to get that back, and then we really ran pretty
good but we just kept getting run into. It was a long day and I’m
glad it’s over. I’m ready to go to Texas.”
Denny Hamlin won the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 before an estimated
crowd of 63,000. Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson and Tony
Stewart followed to complete the top five.
The 30th-place finish in Martinsville dropped Kenseth and the No.
17 DEWALT team from 11th to 15th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
driver point standings. Kenseth is currently 238 points behind point
leader Jeff Burton.
NEXT UP:
Samsung 500 • Texas Motor Speedway • Sunday,
April 6 • DeWALT car
Martinsville Sprint Cup Preview
March 26, 2008
Martinsville Speedway • Martinsville,
Va.
Goody’s Cool Orange 500 • Sunday,
March 30 • 1:30 pm/e Fox Sprint Cup Chassis — #17 DeWALT Ford Fusion
• Primary —
RK-569 (Brand new car)
• Backup —
RK-75 (Has served as backup several times this year. Also last year
raced Loudon — started 30, finished seventh — and Phoenix — started
18, finished third)
Matt Kenseth’s Cup performance summary at
Martinsville:
| Date | S | F | Laps | Led | Reason |
| 10/21/07 |
24 |
5 |
506/506 |
0 |
Running |
| 04/01/07 |
33 |
10 |
500/500 |
1 |
Running |
| 10/22/06 |
20 |
11 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 04/02/06 |
16 |
24 |
493/500 |
0 |
Accident |
| 10/23/05 |
25 |
12 |
500/500 |
19 |
Running |
| 04/10/05 |
18 |
11 |
500/500 |
1 |
Running |
| 10/24/04 |
25 |
16 |
500/500 |
2 |
Running |
| 04/18/04 |
29 |
8 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 10/19/03 |
14 |
13 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 04/13/03 |
34 |
22 |
499/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 10/20/02 |
17 |
19 |
499/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 04/14/02 |
26 |
2 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 10/15/01 |
22 |
36 |
459/500 |
26 |
Rear End |
| 04/08/01 |
25 |
6 |
500/500 |
11 |
Running |
| 10/01/00 |
37 |
34 |
447/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 04/09/00 |
31 |
21 |
498/500 |
0 |
Running |
Matt Kenseth Cup totals at
Martinsville:
| | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Laps Led | Poles |
|
Cumulative |
16 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
60 |
0 |
Matt Kenseth on racing at
Martinsville: “Martinsville is a track I
usually dread racing at. To me, and I’ve said this a lot,
Martinsville reminds me of racing around two light poles in some
mall parking lot. There’s very little room to race, it’s slow
and just real tight quarters — there’s nothing fun about that to
me. We had a good showing there in the fall, last year — one of
the 17 team’s best. We need to just try and focus on getting a
solid finish.”
Sprint Cup Crew Chief Chip Bolin on racing at
Martinsville: “Martinsville
has been a very, very painful place for team 17. Our best finish
there is second place; as soon as we kind of got the track
figured out, they reconfigured it. Since then, our best finish
is fifth. I feel like last fall was our best showing at
Martinsville. Matt actually raced his way to a fifth-place
finish; there was no fuel strategy or anything in that race. He
started 24th and finished fifth. Hopefully this weekend will be
much the same.”
Martinsville Fast Facts
n
Matt Kenseth will make his 17th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start
at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts,
Kenseth has achieved just two top-five and five top-10 finishes.
n
Kenseth’s average start at the .526-mile Virginia track is 24.8.
His average finish is 15.6. Kenseth has completed 7901 of 8006
laps (98.7%) attempted at Martinsville.
n
The No. 17 crew will be unloading chassis No. 569, a brand new
car. Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford will run the DEWALT paint scheme this
weekend.
n
The logo for Southern Air will ride along on the C-post of the
No. 17 DEWALT Ford this weekend. Southern Air is the region’s
largest mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical commercial
and residential contractor company. With over 700 employees they
cover Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia.
n
Coleman Adams Construction, one of the largest and oldest
General Contractor companies in Virginia will ride along on the
No. 17’s wings this weekend at Martinsville.
Bristol Sprint Cup recap
March 16, 2008 No. 17
DISH NETWORK FORD FUSION RECAP:
KENSETH CAPTURES TOP-10
FINISH AT BRISTOL
|
Kenseth’s
Food City 500
Race Summary
Start: 4th
Mid-race: 11th
50 to go: 10th
Finish: 10th
High: 3rd
Low: 20th
Laps in top 15: 504
Laps: 506/506
Led: 0
Status: Running
Points: 134
Earnings: $139,016
Points Summary
Race Total: 134 points
Season Total: 604 points
Ranked: 11th,
178 points
behind first |
Photos from Bristol
Bad weather again
plagued the weekend’s NASCAR events at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Though Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Dish Network team were able to
get some practice time in on Friday and Saturday, qualifying was
rained out and the field was set by 2007 point standings. Kenseth
started Sunday’s Food City 500 in the fourth position. Despite
battling a tight handling racecar for the majority of the 500-lap
event, he still wheeled his way to a solid 10th-place finish.
Cloudy skies and cool temperatures were the conditions in
Bristol, Tenn., when Jimmie Johnson led the 43-car field to the
green flag on Sunday afternoon. Kenseth, in the No. 17 sporting the
colors of Dish Network, followed closely behind in fourth place.
Throughout the first 50 laps of the race, Kenseth maintained a
top-10 running position. However, when the competition yellow was
thrown on lap 50 he reported that his Ford Fusion was “loose on exit
and snug in the middle of the corners,” and requested that the No.
17 be able to “turn better.” Crew chief Chip Bolin directed Kenseth
to pit road where the “Killer Bees” made track bar and air pressure
adjustments in hopes of remedying the handling issues. In what
should have been a quick stop, a minor mishap in the pits cost
Kenseth valuable time and several track positions. Kenseth restarted
the race on lap 57 in 15th place, down six positions from where he
was when the caution fell.
Kenseth would see pit road three times over the next 233 laps (on
laps 95, 189 and 280). On each stop, the Dish Network crew would
continue to tweak the No. 17 Ford in hopes of improving the tight
handling conditions that Kenseth was reporting. Wedge, track bar,
and air pressure adjustments were made on each stop, though nothing
really seemed to be working. In spite of not being completely
satisfied with his car, Kenseth maintained a top 12 running position
throughout it all.
With just 100 laps remaining in the race Kenseth was running in
10th place. While he continued to report that the No. 17 was
“extremely tight,” he held off the competition to maintain his
position.
On lap 490, caution waved allowing Kenseth to pit for the sixth
and final time. He entered the pits in 10th place and exited 13th
after receiving four tires, a splash of fuel, and an air pressure
adjustment. The race restarted on lap 495; however another caution
fell on lap 498 setting the stage for a green-white-checkered
finish.
Kenseth took the race’s final green flag in 12th place and
wheeled his way up to 10th before the checkers waved.
“We just missed it real bad and could never really fix it,” said
Kenseth. “The guys did a good job in the pits and we made as many
adjustments as we could and we hung in there on the lead lap because
we had a good starting spot, but we just missed it a lot.”
Jeff Burton won the Food City 500, his 20th NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series victory. Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, and Dale
Earnhardt Jr. followed to complete the top five.
Kenseth and the No. 17 crew will enjoy a weekend off, but will
return to action on Sunday, March 30, at Martinsville Speedway.
NEXT UP:
Easter weekend off, then
Goody’s Cool Orange 500 • Martinsville Speedway (.526 miles) •
Sunday, March 30
Bristol
Sprint Cup Preview
March 12, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway • Bristol, Tenn.
Food City 500 • Sunday,
March 16 • 1:30 pm/e Fox Sprint Cup Chassis — #17 Dish
Network Ford Fusion
• Primary —
RK-473 (Raced Dover in September 2007; started 10th, led 192 laps,
finished 35th. This car also tested Las Vegas and Fontana this
year.)
• Backup —
RK-475 (Raced Loudon — started 30, finished seventh — and Phoenix —
started 18, finished third — last year)
Matt Kenseth’s Cup performance summary at
Bristol:
| Date | S | F | Laps | Led | Reason |
| 8/25/07 |
12 |
39 |
452/500 |
0 |
Accident |
| 3/25/07 |
38 |
11 |
504/504 |
0 |
Running |
| 8/26/06 |
4 |
1 |
500/500 |
117 |
Running |
| 3/26/06 |
7 |
3 |
500/500 |
124 |
Running |
| 8/27/05 |
1 |
1 |
500/500 |
415 |
Running |
| 4/03/05 |
25 |
16 |
497/500 |
50 |
Running |
| 8/28/04 |
23 |
9 |
499/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 3/28/04 |
23 |
5 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 8/23/03 |
10 |
4 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 3/23/03 |
37 |
2 |
500/500 |
25 |
Running |
| 8/24/02 |
10 |
5 |
500/500 |
10 |
Running |
| 3/24/02 |
6 |
6 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
| 8/25/01 |
38 |
33 |
394/500 |
0 |
Accident |
| 3/25/01 |
24 |
14 |
500/500 |
1 |
Running |
| 8/20/00 |
22 |
39 |
379/500 |
0 |
Overheating |
| 3/26/00 |
22 |
12 |
500/500 |
0 |
Running |
Matt Kenseth Cup totals at Bristol:
| | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Laps Led | Poles | |
Cumulative |
16 |
2 |
7 |
9 |
742 |
1 |
Matt Kenseth on racing at
Bristol: “Bristol is
one of a kind and it’s one of my favorite places to race. Part
of that is because of the success we’ve enjoyed there over the
years. We raced the COT at Bristol for the first time last year
and at that point there were a lot of unknown variables. We
[Roush Fenway Racing] as a whole struggled some back then. But,
over the last year, Chip [Bolin, crew chief] and the entire
engineering department have made huge gains with the new car and
I’m looking forward to this weekend. I know if we can get in
enough practice time and find a good setup we’ll fine this
weekend.”
Sprint Cup Crew Chief Chip Bolin on racing at
Bristol: “We are bringing car No. RK-473.
It’s an older car that we raced last year at Dover. Matt led
almost half the race in that car, so I feel pretty confident
that it’s a good piece. We’ve also tested the car a couple of
times this year — in Vegas and Fontana and Matt was pleased with
it.
“At Bristol you’ve got to be able to drive off the corners
and not get wrecked. It’s a challenging track, but Matt’s had a
lot of success there and he knows his way around the place well.
I think if we can stay out of trouble, we should be fine this
weekend.”
Bristol Fast Facts
n
Matt Kenseth will make his 17th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start
at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend in the Food City 500
n
New Colors… Matt and the No. 17 team will sport the
colors of Dish Network this weekend. Matt is the second Roush
Fenway Racing driver to race the red, black, and white Dish
Network paint scheme this year. Carl Edwards recently won
back-to-back races in the Dish Network car. Greg Biffle will
carry the colors later this season. The trio are dubbed the Dish
Network All-Stars
n
For the record… In his previous starts at BMS, Kenseth
has achieved seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes. He has
completed 96.5% (or 7722 of 8004) of all laps attempted. Kenseth
has led a total of 742 laps.
n
Rewind… Kenseth and crew did their made their trademark
trek to the front last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After
qualifying 38th and battling an ill-handling racecar, Kenseth
brought home an eighth-place finish in the Kobalt Tools 500
n
Standings… With Kenseth’s impressive eighth-place finish
last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he gained four spots in
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. He is currently 12th, 195
points out of first place
n
On the track… This weekend the No. 17 Dish Network team
will be unloading chassis No. RK-473. Kenseth led 192 laps in
this car at Dover in September of 2007 before troubles under the
hood relegated him to a 35th-place finish
Dish Network on #17
car at Bristol
March 12, 2008
KENSETH, DISH NETWORK® ALL-STAR, DEBUTS THIS WEEKEND AT
BRISTOL
The Dish Network All-Stars Looking for More Success in 2008
 CONCORD, N.C.
(March 12, 2008) — This weekend, Matt Kenseth will be the second
All-Star to sport the colors of Dish Network in the Food City 500 at
Bristol Motor Speedway. DISH Network serves as a primary sponsor of
three Roush Fenway Racing machines in 15 Sprint Cup Races in 2008.
Greg Biffle will drive the No. 16 DISH Network Ford Fusion in 11
Sprint Cup races, Carl Edwards in the No. 99 Ford for three races
and Kenseth in the No. 17 Ford for one race. The Roush Fenway team
of drivers is dubbed the DISH Network All-Stars.
“Dish Network has been a great partner to Roush Fenway Racing and
I’m looking forward to representing them on the track this weekend
at Bristol,” said Kenseth. “Carl (Edwards) has raced the Dish
Network car twice this year and won both times. Hopefully the (No.)
17 team will have the luck this weekend and put the No. 17 Dish
Network Ford in victory lane.”
Only four races into the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and
Kenseth is currently 12th in series point standings with one
top-five and two top-10 finishes. Kenseth will make his 17th start
at Bristol this weekend. In his previous starts at the .533-mile
track he boasts, one pole, two wins, seven top-five and nine top-10
finishes. He has led a total of 742 laps there.
About EchoStar Communications Corporation
EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) has
been a leader for more than 27 years in satellite TV equipment sales
and support worldwide. The Company’s DISH Network® provides more
than 13.695 million satellite TV customers with industry-leading
customer satisfaction which has surpassed major cable companies for
seven years running. DISH Network customers also enjoy access to a
premier line of award-winning Digital Video Recorders (DVRs),
hundreds of video and audio channels, the most International
channels in the U.S., industry-leading Interactive TV applications,
Latino programming, and the best sports and movies in HD. DISH
Network offers a variety of package and price options including the
lowest all-digital price in America, the DishDVR Advantage Package,
high-speed Internet service, and a free upgrade to the best HD DVR
in the industry. EchoStar is included in the NASDAQ-100 Index (NDX)
and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus or
call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.
Visit the Dish Netowrk Racing website
Atlanta
Sprint Cup recap
March 10, 2008 No. 17
USG DEWALT FORD FUSION RECAP:
KENSETH AND No. 17 DEWALT
TEAM EARN TOP-10 FINISH AT ATLANTA
|
Kenseth’s
Kobalt Tools 500
Race Summary
Start: 38th
Mid-race: 14th
33 to go: 10th
Finish: 8th
High: 8th
Low: 42nd
Laps in top 15: 190
Laps: 325/325
Led: 0
Status: Running
Points: 142
Earnings: $124,341
Points Summary
Race Total: 142 points
Season Total: 470 points
Ranked: 12th,
195 points
behind first |
M att Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Ford Fusion
team overcame numerous obstacles this weekend at Atlanta Motor
Speedway en route to a hard-fought eighth-place finish in Sunday’s
Kobalt Tools 500. First, Kenseth and crew struggled to find speed
during the weekend’s first practice session. After posting only the
31st quickest time during the session, the DEWALT team, led by crew
chief Chip Bolin, knew they had their work cut out for them. Kenseth
then went on to qualify a disappointing 38th position during Friday
evening’s time trials. Next, snowfall dampened the 1.54–mile Georgia
track on Saturday morning, thus shortening valuable practice time
for the No. 17 team. So on Sunday, when the weather finally cleared
and Kenseth took to the track, the DEWALT team knew they would face
an uphill battle. Throughout 325-lap event, Kenseth struggled with
the handling of the No. 17. However, Bolin and crew worked on the
No. 17 all day and with the efforts of the team and the hard driving
of Kenseth they earned an eighth-place finish.
Jeff Gordon led the 43-car field to the green flag on Sunday
afternoon. Kenseth rolled off the starting grid 38th and by lap
seven, he begin reporting that his DEWALT Ford was “so tight” and
“lacking grip.”
Though Kenseth was able to gain some track positions, he fell one
lap down to the leader on lap 27. A caution on lap 37 permitted a
much needed pit stop for the No. 17 team. During the stop, Bolin
called for several chassis adjustments in hopes of remedying the
ill-handling Roush Fenway Racing machine. After the servicing,
Kenseth rejoined the race on lap 42 in 38th place, one lap down.
The No. 17 would see pit road twice more over the next 71 laps,
once on lap 84 and again on lap 113, each time for air pressure and
chassis adjustments. Despite breaking into the top 20 and earning
the “Lucky Dog” award, Kenseth was still not completely satisfied
with the DEWALT Ford.
Green flag racing recommenced on lap 118 and Kenseth was scored
in the 19th running position. By the next pit cycle on lap 166, he
had put the No. 17 inside the top 10, though still struggling with
“tight in the center, loose off” handling conditions. Again the
DEWALT crew made more adjustments to the No. 17 and Kenseth again
gained more track positions.
Several more attempts were made to correct the handling problems
of the No. 17 throughout the remainder of the race, however nothing
really seemed to work. Even though Kenseth continued to wrestle with
his DEWALT Ford, he still managed to hold on to a top-10 spot. In
the final laps of the race, Kenseth persisted and wheeled his way to
an eighth-place finish.
“The end result was great,” Kenseth said just after climbing out
of his DEWALT Ford Fusion. “We didn’t run good at all and we were
able to overcome almost being two laps down to finish eighth.
Overall, I’m happy with the result. It was really a struggle. We ran
really bad and got a good finish, so I’m happy with that.”
Before an estimated crowd of 100,000, Kyle Busch won the
Kobalt Tools 500 — his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and
the first for Toyota. Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle,
and Jeff Gordon followed to complete the top five.
NEXT UP:
Food City 500 • Bristol Motor Speedway (.533
miles) • Sunday, March 16
Atlanta Nationwide & Cup Preview
March 6, 2008
Atlanta Motor Speedway • Hampton, Ga.
Nicorette 300 • Saturday, March 8 • 1:30 pm/e ESPN2
Kobalt Tools 500 • Sunday,
March 9 • 1:30 pm/e Fox Sprint Cup Chassis — #17 DeWALT Ford Fusion
• Primary —
RK-564 (Brand new) Nationwide Series (NNS) Chassis — #17
Arby’s Ford Fusion
• Primary — RK-360 (won at California
and Texas in 2007)
Matt Kenseth’s Cup performance summary at
Atlanta
| Date | S | F | Laps | Led | Reason |
|
10/28/07 |
17 |
4 |
329/329 |
0 |
Running |
|
03/19/07 |
21 |
3 |
325/325 |
11 |
Running |
|
10/29/06 |
1* |
4 |
325/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
03/19/06 |
27 |
13 |
325/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
10/30/05 |
23 |
5 |
325/325 |
1 |
Running |
|
03/20/05 |
23 |
31 |
311/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
10/31/04 |
39 |
41 |
175/325 |
0 |
Engine |
|
03/14/04 |
30 |
6 |
325/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
10/28/03 |
37 |
11 |
325/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
03/09/03 |
24 |
4 |
325/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
10/27/02 |
9 |
9 |
248/248 |
0 |
Running |
|
03/10/02 |
32 |
4 |
325/325 |
46 |
Running |
|
11/18/01 |
23 |
17 |
325/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
03/11/01 |
38 |
37 |
273/325 |
0 |
Engine |
|
11/20/00 |
23 |
9 |
324/325 |
0 |
Running |
|
03/12/00 |
4 |
40 |
199/325 |
2 |
Engine |
|
*Starting order set by points due to inclement weather |
Matt Kenseth Cup totals at Atlanta:
| | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Laps Led | Poles | |
Cumulative |
16 |
0 |
6 |
9 |
60 |
0 |
Matt Kenseth’s NNS performance summary at
Atlanta:
| Date | S | F | Laps | Led | Status |
| 03/17/07 |
6 |
9 |
195/195 |
0 |
Running |
| 03/18/06 |
4 |
4 |
195/195 |
6 |
Running |
| 03/19/05 |
10 |
4 |
203/203 |
0 |
Running |
| 10/30/04 |
28 |
1 |
208/208 |
58 |
Running |
| 10/25/03 |
18 |
2 |
203/203 |
60 |
Running |
| 03/10/01 |
18 |
30 |
171/203 |
0 |
Engine |
| 03/11/00 |
1 |
2 |
203/203 |
18 |
Running |
| 03/13/99 |
13 |
25 |
187/195 |
0 |
Running |
| 11/07/98 |
2 |
4 |
195/195 |
0 |
Running |
Matt Kenseth NNS totals at
Atlanta: | | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Poles | Led |
| Cumulative | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 142 |
Matt Kenseth on racing at
Atlanta: Cup: “Atlanta
is great track mainly because you’re not only racing your
competitors, but you’re also racing the track. The pavement has
kind of worn out and it’s real high banked. You start off fast
and the track gets slick, so you’re always looking for a
different groove and for more grip. With the new cars, the
racing will be challenging. The cars are tougher to drive and
they move around a lot more than the old cars. When the track
gets slick, you’ve got to have a good handling car, so that you
can change your points and get into the corners. I always have a
lot of fun racing at Atlanta, because it is always a challenge
and this weekend will be no exception.”
“We had two good finishes there last season, and even though
we’re racing the new cars this time, my guys have done a great
job and I know we’ll unload and be competitive, much like we
were last week at Vegas. Hopefully, this week, we can avoid an
accident and be able to contend for a win.”
NNS: “Atlanta has always been one of my favorite
tracks. It’s really fast but has enough room to move around and
try to find some different lines around the track. We’re taking
one of my favorite cars — the one I won with at California and
Texas last year. Arby’s is on the car for the first time this
season. They’re a great sponsor and this is their home track and
I’m excited to give them a strong finish this weekend.”
Sprint Cup Crew Chief Chip Bolin on racing at
Atlanta: “We
usually run really well at Atlanta, if we don’t blow a tire. At
Atlanta, tire management is key. Whoever can manage their tires
on long green-flag runs usually ends up doing well there.
Fortunately for us, Matt is great at tire management, so with
some luck, we should fair well this weekend.
“We are bringing a brand new car to Atlanta, RK-564. It is a
lot like the car we tested and raced at Fontana. Hopefully the
results will be just as good and we’ll bring home top-five
finish.”
NNS Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer on racing at
Atlanta: “I really like Atlanta. We had a
good run there with Matt last year. We’re taking one of our best
cars; Matt won in it twice last year. The Arby’s Ford Fusion
should be really strong this weekend. Whenever you have Matt
Kenseth in the car you should be running up front and I expect
exactly that at Atlanta.”
Atlanta Fast Facts n
Matt Kenseth will make his 17th NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend in the
Kobalt Tools 500
n
For the record… In his previous starts at AMS, Kenseth has
achieved six top-five and nine top-10 finishes. He has completed
93.3% (or 4784 of 5127) of all laps attempted. Kenseth has four
top-five finishes in the last five Atlanta Cup races
n
Rewind… Despite leading 70 laps and dominating the field with 51
of the race’s fastest laps, Kenseth was relegated to a
20th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway due to a late-race
incident
n
Standings… Kenseth is currently 16th in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
driver standings with 328 points, 163 points behind the leader
n
On the track… This weekend the No. 17 will sport the colors of
DEWALT at Atlanta. The No. 17 crew will be unloading car No.
RK-564, a brand new car
n
DEWALT’s Rolling Thunder will make a stop this weekend at
Atlanta Motor Speedway. Fans may stop by to experience the
latest in DEWALT technology. Matt will make an appearance at
10:45 a.m.
n
Matt races for free fries! Free curly fries are back and
up for grabs when Matt Kenseth makes it into victory lane this
season. Every time Kenseth wins a race (Sprint or Nationwide
Series), Arby’s will celebrate by giving away free medium Curly
Fries the Monday — called “Matt’s Monday” — following the race
weekend. Customers will need to bring in a printed copy of the
official race results from a newspaper or web site, or a free
fry coupon from arbys.com, to participating Arby’s on “Matt’s
Monday” to receive their free order of medium curly fries.
Arby’s returns
to #17 Nationwide car
March 5, 2008
ARBY’S COLORS FOR KENSETH IN ATLANTA NATIONWIDE RACE
 Arby’s returns as primary sponsor of Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford
Fusion in the Nationwide Series this weekend at Atlanta Motor
Speedway. Arby’s adorned the No. 17 Ford Fusion in the Nationwide
Series 13 times in 2007 with Kenseth accumulating one win, two poles
and eight top-five finishes.
“I love driving for Arby’s,” said Kenseth. “They’re a great
sponsor and since day one they’ve been really excited about their
involvement with our team. We’ve had pretty good luck when they’re
on the car, so hopefully we can continue that this weekend at
Atlanta.”
Arby’s will also serve as primary sponsor of the No. 17 Ford
Fusion in the Nationwide Series later this season at Kansas
Speedway.
As always, if Kenseth wins either the Sprint Cup or Nationwide
event this weekend, Arby’s will be giving away free medium curly
fries on Monday. Customers will need to bring in a printed copy of
the official race results from a newspaper or web site, or a free
fry coupon from arbys.com, to participating Arby’s on “Matt’s
Monday” to receive their free order of medium curly fries.
About Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.:
Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., based in Atlanta, is the
franchisor of the Arby’s restaurant system, which consists of more
than 3,600 restaurants worldwide, and is owner and operator of
approximately 1,100 of those restaurants located in the United
States. Founded in 1964, Arby’s quick service restaurants specialize
in offering slow roasted and freshly sliced roast beef sandwiches as
well as its Market Fresh(R) deli-style sandwiches, wraps and salads
with the convenience of a drive-thru. Arby’s offers guests a unique,
great tasting alternative to traditional fast food with its
one-of-a-kind menu items including the Beef ‘n Cheddar, Curly Fries
and Jamocha shakes. Arby’s Restaurant Group also owns and operates
the T.J. Cinnamons(R) brand and is a subsidiary of Triarc Companies,
Inc. (NYSE: TRY, TRY.B). To learn more about Arby’s, please visit
www.arbys.com.
Visit the Arby’s Racing website
Las Vegas
recap
March 3, 2008 No. 17
USG SHEETROCK/DEWALT FORD FUSION RECAP:
LATE SPIN WRECKS KENSETH’S CHANCE OF VICTORY IN LAS VEGASRACE SUMMARY
Matt Kenseth • Started:
13th • Finished: 20th POINTS SUMMARY
Matt Kenseth • Race Total:
108 points • Season Total: 328 points; ranked 16th, 163 points
behind first
Matt Kenseth took
the lead just before halfway in Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway and appeared to be on his way to his third victory at
the 1.5-mile “Diamond in the Desert.” But after leading four times
for 70 laps, the handling on Kenseth’s No. 17 USG Sheetrock/DEWALT
Ford Fusion swung slightly to the tight side as the shadows grew
long over the track. Though Kenseth had faded to third, a late
caution grouped the field for a restart on lap 262, just five laps
shy of the finish. Kenseth stormed into second by the time the field
entered turn one, but on the exit of turn two, the No. 24 car
drifted up the track and into the left rear of Kenseth, sending the
No. 17 spinning on the backstretch. Kenseth made a great save to
keep his machine intact, but had to pit for fresh tires under
caution, losing his track position and ultimately relegating the No.
17 team to a 20th-place finish.
A sellout crowd in excess of
150,000, enjoyed a clear, cool, and windy day as hometown favorite
Kyle Busch led the field to the green flag at 1:48 p.m. Pacific.
Kenseth, driving the blue-and-red USG Sheetrock paint scheme for the
first of three times in 2008, qualified 13th for Sunday’s event.
By lap four, Kenseth had
cracked the top 10, but in the early going reported the car as being
loose through the corners. To improve the handling of the No. 17
Ford, crew chief Chip Bolin called Kenseth to pit road under caution
on lap 10 for adjustments. This put Kenseth, along with half of the
field that pitted with him, on a slightly different cycle than the
leaders. Kenseth returned to the track in 21st, but second among the
cars that pitted.
After a long green-flag run,
Kenseth maneuvered up to 11th before the cycle of green-flag stops
began on lap 37. Eight laps after the cycle of pit stops were
complete the caution flag flew for debris and sent nearly everyone
to pit road. The call from Bolin was two tires and fuel. After
coming in ninth, Kenseth exited the pits in the seventh position.
On the ensuing lap 76 restart,
the No. 17 Ford began to flex its muscle. Kenseth restarted seventh
but quickly began to reel in the leaders. By the time the next
caution flag flew on lap 109, Kenseth was running second with the
leader in his crosshairs. Reporting the car was the best it had been
but a little loose towards the end of a run, Kenseth came to pit
road, took on four tires, fuel, and a minor adjustment, then
returned in the second position.
It took Kenseth less than two
laps to overcome the leader and set sail. After taking the lead on
lap 116, Kenseth began to exert his dominance and it quickly became
apparent that the only challengers would come in the form of two
teammates, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle. Even as others tried to use
pit strategy to get ahead of the No. 17 on the track, it was only a
matter of time before Kenseth found his way back to the front.
The first warning sign that
perhaps victory wasn’t in the cards came on lap 201, just 66 laps
from the finish. Kenseth reported that the car was tightening up,
especially in turns one and two where the track temperature had
dropped due to shadows. By now, it was the Kenseth-Edwards show. The
two came to pit road with Edwards leading for what was to be the
final time of the evening on lap 215. Bolin called for a routine
four-tires-and-fuel pit stop with hopes to beat Edwards back onto
the racetrack. The plan worked as the “Killer Bees” responded with a
12.62-second pit stop to send Kenseth back out with the lead.
But Kenseth could no longer
hold off his teammate. The No. 17 Ford had become too tight. After
losing the lead on lap 238, Kenseth was now in a position of trying
to stay close and at the very least, hang on to a top-five finish.
A caution with only 10 laps
remaining bunched the field for what was to be a six-lap dash to the
checkers. Kenseth restarted third and got a great run on the outside
of the No. 88 car for second. Having claimed the second position,
Kenseth was preparing to challenge Edwards for one last chance at a
victory. But as the field rumbled off of turn two, disaster struck.
That “disaster” was in the
form of the No. 24 car, which drifted up the track at the exit of
turn two and struck the left rear of Kenseth’s machine. Kenseth’s
Ford immediately spun sideways and nearly out of control in front of
the field, but a quick-thinking Kenseth miraculously saved the car
from hitting the inside wall and continued on with four flat tires,
but no heavy damage.
Under caution, Kenseth was
forced to pit road for four tires and few others pitted. With only
two laps to go, Kenseth restarted 21st and after a run worthy of at
least a top-three finish, came home with a disappointing 20th-place
finish.
Kenseth explained: “They’ve
kind of got a rule that they don’t really, to my knowledge, ever
police, of laying back more than a car length, and Gordon is famous
for laying back. He was laying back a lot, so I laid back so he
wouldn’t pass me and then the 99 took off late because he saw
everybody laying back. I got a run on the 88 and the 24 got a run on
me and we kind of split him coming off two and then the 24 just
wrecked me.”
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD A CAR TO
BEAT, BUT YOU WERE HOPING FOR TIRES. “We were the same as the
99, but we just got too tight at the end and I couldn’t run with him
at the end when we needed to. I just got too tight.”
HOW DISAPPOINTING IS THIS?
“It’s disappointing,
but it all started back on the restart. Jeff is kind of famous for
laying back and NASCAR has a rule that you can’t lay back more than
a car length or you can be black-flagged, but it’s usually not
enforced, so I saw him laying back. I knew he was going to get a run
on me, so I laid back a little bit. Carl went late and that kind of
started the chain and we were three-wide going into one. We came off
two and I was up as high as I thought I could get and Jeff just came
across. Whether it was on purpose or not, it just kind of wiped us
out.”
NEXT UP:
Kobalt
Tools 500 • Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5 miles) • Sunday, March 9
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