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Ask
Matt
Matt
Kenseth answers fan questions once a week.
Submit your question
here. |
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June
10, 2009 |
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Q |
Hey Matt, I saw you race and listened to you for
three weekends in a row recently. What does it
mean when Drew or Mike come on the radio and
say, for example, leader was a 37, you’re a 42?
Kiley Case,
Salem, Va. |
2009 Q&A
. . . . . . . .
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A |
They are talking lap times. For instance, the
leader ran 56.42 seconds and I ran a 56.37–second lap. Notice how I made myself
faster!!?? Drew just doesn’t say the second bracket to keep the radio
transmission shorter.
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Q |
Hey Matt, under a red flag when drivers park on
the back stretch, for example, why do they
always do it in diagonal position? Or is there
really a reason for it?
Sam
Chesterfield, Elkart, Ind. |
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A |
The straightaways are banked a little at most
tracks so the idea is if they won’t start when
the race is getting ready to go, you could let
the car roll down the hill and pop the clutch to
get it to start.
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Q |
Hi Matt, I know that Dale Jr. plays a game
called iRacing. I was wondering if you also
use that as a training tool.
Andrew Purcell,
Orland Park, Ill. |
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A |
I do not. Ross loves it though and is on there a
lot. One of my owners, John Henry, actually
started that site and plays on there as well. I
hear it’s great, I might get hooked up on it
sometime, I just haven’t yet.
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Q |
Do you own the rights to the number 17? I mean
will you always have that number while you are
driving, and if so, why don’t all the drivers
own their numbers? Also, why are there no triple
digit numbers? Thanks and good luck!
Kirk Vermillion, West Bend,
Wis. |
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A |
I
work for the race team and they own the car and
number, take care of sponsorship etc. NASCAR
makes sure the owners have the numbers assigned
because they are the ones paying to have the car
at the track. I have been fortunate to have 17
the whole time, and that’s happened because I
have stayed with the same team. I believe they
limit the numbers to two digits to keep the cars
clean and professional looking. They actually
have a rule on the size of the numbers on our
cars so they all look the same.
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Q |
Hey Matt I just read your Speedway
Illustrated article on crate engines. Do you
think a claimer rule would help at all with the
“crate engine” concept? The “crate engine” deal
has gotten out of control everywhere. I work on
a late model team and the track we run has only
one authorized dealer for “crate engine”
rebuilds and the teams we race against are still
getting away with 25 more horsepower and the
engines are sealed by the track officials.
Todd Chartier, Worcester, Mass. |
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A |
It
might, but the only problem I see with that is
for a weekly racer to change engines every week
would be very time consuming and maybe not
practical. The other thing I think of is one guy
might have an almost new engine that’s legal,
and it gets claimed by a guy who has an engine
with 50 races on it that he didn’t take care of.
I have never seen a claim rule work real well.
Like I said, I love the idea, I just think there
is a better way to do it to make sure everyone
is on the up and up.
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