Matt Kenseth / Visine Racing Pre-Race Notes for Texas Motor Speedway

KENSETH TO DRIVE GREEN MACHINE AT TEXAS: Matt Kenseth will be sporting a new look on the No. 17 Chevrolet this weekend. A green paint scheme, based on the packaging from the Visine-A eye drops, will replace the familiar blue paint. Visine-A is an antihistamine/redness reliever eye drop that temporarily relieves itching and redness of the eye due to pollen, ragweed, grass, animal hair and dander. The Visine-A Chevrolet will also appear at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., on May 26.

KENSETH AT TEXAS: In three career NASCAR Busch Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Kenseth has led a total of 168 laps. Last year, he finished second to Mark Martin. In 1998, he crossed the finish line eighth. His best starting position came in 1999 when he lined up fifth.

POINTS STANDINGS: The Visine Racing Team jumped up to seventh in the owners’ points standings following a victory last Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kenseth is currently 11th in the drivers’ points standings with 664 points in five starts. The top six drivers each have six starts.

KENSETH WILL TAKE A BUSCH BREAK: After competing in the Jani-King 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, Matt Kenseth will hand over driving duties of the Visine Chevy to teammate and rookie Clay Rogers for the Pepsi 300 on April 14 at Nashville Superspeedway. Kenseth will return to the Visine car for the Touchstone Energy 300 on April 21 at Talladega Superspeedway.

MATT KENSETH’s Comments on Texas: “I really enjoy getting to run both races at Texas. In the Busch car, we’ve run real well at the track. The last two times we were there we’ve been near the front. In 1999, we led most of the laps before having a problem. And last year, we finished second. Maybe everything will come together this time at Texas. After last week’s win, it would be nice to string a couple of them together. This race team is capable of doing that this week. Pit strategy can play a big factor, because there are usually long green flag runs. If the team keeps getting me out of the pits quickly like it did last week, we should be right up there at the end.”

Crew Chief Russ Strupp’s Comments on Texas: “We’ll be taking ‘Chassis No. 3’ to Texas. It’s the same car that finished second there last year and it was running to the front with new tires at Charlotte in the spring race last year and got wrecked. After winning at Bristol last week, we don’t have any more time to celebrate. We have to carry on to focus on the next race and give 110 percent for Texas. The guys are pumped up after the win and once you get in that mode of winning, you feel like you can do it again the next race with a little luck involved. Matt really likes this place and he’s led a bunch of laps there. We know it’s going to be a fuel mileage and pit strategy race. So, it will be important for us to figure out the fuel mileage in Happy Hour. I’m anticipating a lot of green flag laps like Atlanta had. We’ll be ready for the green flag runs.”

Last year’s Albertson’s 300 (April 1, 2000): Matt Kenseth recorded his fifth top-five finish of the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series season at Texas Motor Speedway by placing second in the Albertson’s 300. He led all drivers in the points standings after seven races on the circuit. Kenseth was on a steady course to the front of the pack after qualifying 26th. After completing lap 19, the race was delayed for four hours due to rain. When the field returned to the track, Kenseth headed to the front and cracked the top-10 by lap 81. He led several laps, but Mark Martin caught him on lap 165 of 200.

Last Race: Matt Kenseth avoided the bumps and bruises of a typical day at the “Bristol Blender” to capture his first victory of the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series season in the Cheez-It 250. It was Kenseth’s second career Busch Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway and his 12th career win. After starting from the outside pole, Kenseth led the final 48 laps to hold off a charging Tim Fedewa. The win gives Kenseth three top-five finishes in five events in 2001.

Sponsor Notes: Partners on the Visine-A Chevrolet for the Jani-King 300 are Kroger stores along with BenGay and Cortizone, products produced by Pfizer Consumer Health Care.

Kenseth Wants to Be the Lone Star in TMS Victory Lane

Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Texas Motor Speedway:

Date: 4/02/00 
Start: 13 
Finish: 31 
Laps: 288/334 
Money: $57,050 
Status: Accident

Kenseth on racing at Texas Motor Speedway: 
“Texas can be compared to Charlotte and Atlanta, but it’s different in its own right. We qualified well at TMS last year but then were involved in an accident and didn’t have that great of a finish. This year I think we will be better. It seems every week we have a good car, but there is always something that gets us. Texas is going to be fast. It’s one of the faster tracks we run. As usual, safety is probably on everyone’s minds, and so I’ll continue to wear the HANS.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on Texas: 
“We are taking car 9 to Texas. It is the same car we ran at Rockingham and Homestead. If this team keeps doing what they are doing in the pits, we will come out on top real soon. I know the point standings don’t show it, but we are much better than our finishes.”

Notes of Interest:
Matt Kenseth will sign autographs at the North Richland Hills Home Depot on Saturday night March 31 from 6–7 p.m.

Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series on Friday, March 30, at 4:00 p.m. EST. The green flag will drop on the Harrah’s 500 at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, April 1, 2001. FOX and PRN will broadcast the event live. 

Today the DEWALT Power Tools line consists of over 200 electric power tools and over 800 accessories including: drills and hammerdrills; screwdrivers; circular, chop, miter, table, reciprocating, and jigsaws; planers; impact wrenches; die, angle, and bench grinders; shears; nibblers; sanders; laminate trimmers; routers, and plate joiners. This year will be an exciting time for DEWALT as it offers its largest product launch ever — even greater than the initial product line introduction.

Kenseth Battles to 14th at Bristol

DEWALT Power Tools Racing Post Race Report

Date: 3/25/01 
Start: 24th 
Finish: 14th 
Laps: 500/500 
Point Standings: 25th

Race Recap: 
The DEWALT Power Tools team’s weekend began with a 24th place qualifying effort. Kenseth won the Busch Grand National Series race on Saturday so he was confident he would have what it took to get himself to the front of the pack. Although the team had to pit on the backstretch, final practice speeds showed Kenseth in the top 15 on the speed charts. With ten minutes left in final practice, Kenseth spun the car and hit the wall, causing minor damage to the right front fender. The DEWALT team stayed late into the night on Saturday making repairs to the Ford Taurus, so it would be ready to go on Sunday.

As a typical Bristol race, the cautions came early, and kept coming. Within the first 30 laps, there were three cars in the wall in separate incidents. Kenseth was moving forward, and nudged his way into 14th when he brought the No. 17 in for four tires and an air pressure adjustment on lap 79. The DEWALT team continued their impressive performance in the pits, as they sent Kenseth out 12th. By lap 103, Kenseth moved into 9th place. “This car is pretty good,” radioed 
Kenseth.

“We are pretty hooked-up off the corners. I’m just driving right now.” 
Kenseth continued to pick off cars one by one, as he moved into 5th by lap 148. A car spinning in turn four brought out a caution shortly after, and Kenseth’s team pulled of another 14 second pit stop. Despite their efforts, Kenseth went back out onto the track 14th, feeling the impact of pitting on the backstretch. The car then became terribly tight, as Kenseth stated, “I couldn’t get the magic back I had in that first few runs. I don’t know if the track tightened up or if it was that set of tires. We were better on long runs.”

As the race wore on, Kenseth was on the lead lap contending with lapped traffic. Spotter Mike Calinoff had a busy day high above turn three, as he made deals with the spotters whose cars were not on the lead lap, to let Kenseth run his line without getting held up.

Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser continued to work on the car making track bar adjustments as the cautions continued to occur. Kenseth took two tires on lap 374 advancing him five spots in the field. On lap 414 Kenseth showed what he was made of, as he found that “magic” again and he told Reiser and the team, “I think we’re back in business guys.”

The No. 17 DEWALT car was better on longer runs, and at Bristol, there usually is no such thing. Kenseth had to settle for 14th place when the leader, Elliott Sadler, took the checkered flag. After the race, the No. 17 car showed signs of battle, as there was damage to the left front fender and the entire back bumper was knocked in. Fortunately, the No. 17 team did not have significant damage.

One common sight at Bristol Motor Speedway was DEWALT’s own reciprocating saw being utilized to repair and cut away sheet metal damage. The crews of teammates Jeff Burton and Mark Martin used DEWALT’s Power Tools to help salvage finishes after incidents on the track.

Quoting Driver Matt Kenseth: “For the backstretch 14th was good. If we would have been on the frontstretch I thought we had a top-10 car. At the beginning of the race I thought we had a top-five car for sure. The car was really, really good and then when the track started changing we couldn’t keep up with it because of our setup. We just couldn’t get it back. No matter what we did, we never got it back to how it was when we started the race. In regard to pit strategy, if we would have been handling a little better we could have stayed out like Elliott (Sadler) did. They had a good car, but I don’t think they were any better than anybody else. They were just in the right place at the right time. It’s a big advantage to be up front. I’m real happy for the 21 team, they are teammates of ours.”

Quoting Crew Chief Robbie Reiser: “Matt drove a great race and these guys keep impressing us with pit stops. My hat’s off to Elliott Sadler and the Wood Brothers on their win. That is awesome for those guys.”

The DEWALT Power Tools team heads to the Lone Star State to race at Texas Motor Speedway. Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series on Friday, March 30th at 4:00 p.m. EST. The green flag will drop on the Harrahs 500 at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, April 1, 2001.

Kenseth Grabs First Victory of 2001 at Bristol

Matt Kenseth avoided the bumps and bruises of a typical day at the “Bristol Blender” to capture his first victory of the 2001 NASCAR Busch  Series season in the Cheez-It 250. The driver of the No. 17 Visine Chevrolet took the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon by leading the final 48 laps and holding off a charging Tim Fedewa.

Kenseth started from the outside pole and never got mixed up with the pack of cars behind him tearing up shredded sheet metal. The beating and banging behind the No. 17 car resulted in 12 cautions slowing down 75 of the 250 laps.

A bad first set of tires slightly hampered the Visine car in the early going. Kenseth slipped to fourth a few laps in to the race, but eventually moved back up to the front of the pack after making their first pit stop on lap 69.

“We didn’t have a great first set of tires to get things started,” Kenseth said. “But, we hung around the top-five while all those cautions came out early on. That’s what you have to do to win — put yourself in a position to win in the final 25 laps.”

With dark clouds looming above at the halfway point of the race, Kenseth and the Visine Racing Team chose to stay on the track and hold out for a caution to make their second pit stop of the day. On lap 164 with the rain holding off, their strategy paid off when the yellow flag came out for the ninth caution of the race. Kenseth pitted on lap 165 under caution and returned to the track in the third position.

At the restart on lap 169, Kevin Harvick, running second at the time, suffered a black flag penalty for jumping the restart when he passed the start/finish line ahead of leader Randy LaJoie. The penalty moved Kenseth up to second and in striking distance for a win.

In pursuit of the lead on lap 203, he made contact with the rear bumper of LaJoie’s car and drove right under LaJoie to take the lead for good.

“We survived the wrecks and stayed out of trouble at Bristol, which is a real hard thing to do,” Kenseth said. “The guys had the car in good shape all weekend to give us a shot to win. We may not have had the strongest car out there, but the strongest car doesn’t always win.

“We did what we had to do to win at Bristol. We’ve had good cars every week and things fell into place for us today.”

Kenseth now has 12 NASCAR Busch Series wins to his name with two of them coming at Bristol.

DEWALT Racing Bristol Pre-Race

Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Date: 3/26/00 
Start: 22 
Finish: 12 
Laps: 500/500 
Winnings: $42,165 
Status: Running

Date: 8/26/00 
Start: 22 
Finish: 39 
Laps: 376/500 
Winnings: $35,575 
Status: Overheating

Kenseth on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway:
“Bristol is a really fun race track for this DEWALT Team. The first challenge is qualifying because for positions 1-21 you pit on the frontstretch. The rest are on the backstretch. Last year, we ended up starting 22nd each race, the first car on the backstretch. So that’s my goal — to qualify well. Then when the race starts, we tend to rely on our spotters to be well aware of where all the wrecks are happening. I’ll have to be real careful not to get caught up in a wreck, and just race the racetrack. Bristol is so tight and small, that it doesn’t take long to go a lap down, or for the wrecks to start happening. You just never know with Bristol, I’ve had good cars there and finished terrible, and then had bad cars and finished well. Racing at Bristol is almost electric, there is so much energy packed into that little place, sometimes I don’t know what is louder, the fans or the cars.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on Bristol:
“I’ll concur with Matt in regard to qualifying. Qualifying is real important at Bristol because of the pit road configuration. We need to be on the frontstretch this year if we want to better our chances of winning. The most important thing during the race at Bristol is to stay out of wrecks, and not cause any. Within the first 15 laps, leaders start to lap the field, so we need to get up front fast. We are taking car number 13, which is a brand new car. Bristol is going to be a great place to break it in.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s view from high above Bristol:
“Bristol is about the biggest challenge on the circuit for a spotter. You’ve got 43 cars in a confined area bumping each other at a pretty quick pace. When our DEWALT car is on the top and he needs to get on the bottom, you have to really be precise in getting him in a hole — because the bottom is quicker and the holes close fast. Another challenge at Bristol is that things happen in a hurry and you have to really be looking ahead and watching your car at the same time. If there is a wreck in turn one and your car is in turn three, you have to give him enough notice of what’s going on and make sure he doesn’t stop too quickly and get hit from behind. The final issue with Bristol is that the spotters are in turn three. So, we have to adjust being in a different place than on the frontstretch, where we normally are. As a spotter you have to constantly remind yourself that turn one is really not turn three when you are calling a wreck. I actually talk to myself for the first part of the race saying ‘One, Two, Three, Four...’ while I am spotting — so that I can give the right information to Matt. Other than all of that, Bristol is a piece of cake.”

Notes of Interest:
Matt Kenseth will appear at the Food City Family Night in Kingsport, TN to sign autographs from 6–8 p.m.

Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series at 3:30 p.m. EST on Friday, March 23rd. The green flag will drop on the Food City 500 at 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 25th.  

DEWALT Team Hangs Tough in Darlington

Date:                   3/18/01 
Start:                   30th 
Finish:                 19th 
Laps:                   292/293 
Point Standings:   27th

Race Recap:

The DEWALT Power Tools team’s weekend at Darlington Raceway began in a fog, literally. Qualifying on Saturday was canceled due to foggy weather conditions. NASCAR determined the starting line up for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 by current owner points. Kenseth and the team had to start in the 30th position.

When the fog finally lifted, practice proved beneficial to the No. 17 team as they were 9th fast in morning practice and 13th fast in Saturday’s final practice. Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser felt confident starting in the back would not be an issue, and it would not be difficult to work their way into contention.

At the team meeting prior to Sunday’s race, Reiser told the team, “We may be starting in the back, but we have a car that can go right to the front, and maybe even win this race.”

After the green flag dropped, Kenseth started gaining momentum and positions. That momentum, however, was short lived. Kenseth allowed the No. 4 car of Robbie Gordon to go by him since it was early in the race, and Gordon pushed Kenseth into the wall. “I cannot believe that 4 car,” Kenseth stated after the race, “I was being nice by letting him go, and he wrecked us.”

The contact with the wall on lap 22 caused significant damage to the car. Kenseth brought the car into the pits on lap 28 under yellow flag conditions for the crew to work on. Car chief Ben Leslie and the rest of the over the wall team tried desperately to fix the front end and the alignment of the car. Kenseth went back onto the track to follow the pace car and stay on the lead lap, and came back in for fresh tires and fuel on the next lap. The crew fixed the damage the best they could, but Kenseth ultimately ended up losing a lap to the leaders.

For the remainder of the event, Kenseth and Reiser worked together to fix an ill-handling race car. Kenseth stated at one point the car would barely turn because the right front was so damaged. Despite the obstacles, the No. 17 team was once again spectacular in the pits pulling off 13 and 14 second pit stops assisting Kenseth with track position.

Kenseth salvaged a 19th place finish moving the DEWALT Power Tools team into the 27th place position in the point standings.

Quoting Matt Kenseth: “I’ve never seen anything like that 4 car putting us into the wall like that. I had a great car, and we could have been a 
contender today. I just can’t believe it. The team has been awesome in the pits. We can’t catch any luck lately.”

Quoting Crew Chief Robbie Reiser: “Great job once again in the pits today. These guys are awesome. We had a great car, and this wreck should not have happened. Matt drove a great race today. I’m real proud of this team.”

The next stop for the DEWALT Power Tools team is Bristol Motor Speedway. Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series on Friday, March 23rd at 3:30 pm EST. The green flag will drop on the Food City 500 at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, March 25th.

Kenseth Repeats Spring Performance at Darlington ( Visine Racing )

DARLINGTON, S.C. (March 17) - Matt Kenseth brought the same car to Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C., that he raced in last spring’s SunCom 200. And he drove the No. 17 Visine Chevy to the same result, finishing third in Saturday’s race.

In 2000, Kenseth started the spring Busch Series race at Darlington in third. This time, he also started from the third position.

In 2000, Kenseth finished second. This time, he once again finished in second.

The one big difference in this year’s race was that Kenseth had a legitimate shot at claiming victory at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.” Kenseth led 66 of the 147 laps, the most of any driver. At one point, he stretched his lead over Kevin Harvick to 5.2 seconds on lap 72.

A bad set of tires on the final pit stop at lap 123 may have cost Kenseth a win.

“The Visine Chevrolet was real good all day long,” Kenseth said. “We were strong, except for the last two stops we got beat out of the pits. I think we had the best car here. The last set of tires was the worst set of the day.

“I’m real disappointed since we had a great shot to win this race, but everything has to go right to win a race at Darlington. If the last set of tires wouldn’t have pushed on us, things might have been different.”

After finishing 34th at Las Vegas and 30th at Atlanta, crew chief Russ Strupp was excited about getting the Visine Racing team headed in the right direction.

“It’s tough to swallow the result when you have such a dominating car,” Strupp said. “The last set of tires really bit us. They tightened up the car and we couldn’t get a good run on Jeff (Green). Finishing second isn’t bad at all, though. It’s much better than the last couple races.”

Kenseth collects his second top-five finish of the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series season. His other top-five came at Daytona, where he finished third.

The Visine Racing Team moves on to Bristol Motor Speedway for next week’s race. Kenseth will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 Visine Chevrolet for Saturday’s CHEEZ-IT 250.

Kenseth Matches Career-Best Start at Darlington ( Visine Racing )

DARLINGTON, S.C. (March 16) - Matt Kenseth matched his career-best qualifying effort at Darlington Raceway in a Busch car Friday afternoon. The driver of the No. 17 Visine Chevrolet qualified third with a quick lap of 28.999 seconds at 169.578 mph. Only pole-sitter Ryan Newman and Todd Bodine turned faster laps among the 40-car field.

“We’re real happy starting near the front,” Kenseth said. “This is one of my favorite places to drive and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race. If you get a good setup on your car here, you can watch everyone else slide all over the place and drive right by them. I think the guys have the car where we need it to win, so we’re hoping for big things.”

Kenseth has seen nothing but good things at Darlington Raceway in seven NASCAR Busch Series starts at the 1.366-mile track. His worst finish is a 12th and his other six races resulted in top-10 finishes. Kenseth won the spring Darlington Busch Series race in 1999.

“We know how to win here,” Kenseth said. “We’ve done it before and have had a couple races here where we came real close. That will help us tomorrow. It always helps to already know what it takes to get the job done.

“We’re looking for good, fast pit stops and smart tire management. The car handled real well in practice and qualifying. As long as we stay where we are right now, we should be right up there at the end of the race.”

It’s the second consecutive spring Darlington Busch Series race that Kenseth will start from the inside spot of row two.

“Last year, we followed Mark (Martin) to the checkered flag,” Kenseth said. “Hopefully, someone else will be following us this time.”

FX’s coverage of the SunCom 200 will begin at 12:30 p.m. EST, and the race begins at approximately 1 p.m. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will produce the live radio broadcast.

DEWALT Power Tools Racing Darlington Pre Race Notes

Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Darlington Raceway:

Date: 3/19/00 
Start: 16 
Finish: 6 
Laps: 293/293 
Money: $47,575 
Status: Running

Date: 9/3/00 
Start: 24 
Finish: 33 
Laps: 286/293 
Money: $41,675 
Status: Running

Kenseth on racing at Darlington:

“We won a Busch race there in 1999, and had a great run last spring in the Winston Cup car. I hope we can turn around this luck we’ve been having since we are pretty low in the points right now (29th). It is still early in the year and really anything can happen. I will say again that our pit stops have been outstanding so far this year. It’s amazing to see the improvement from last year and how truly awesome this team can be. I think we can pull off a decent qualifying run and then go right to the front again like we did last week in Atlanta. Darlington is a tough track, so there will probably be some wrecks, so I’ll rely on my spotter Mike Calinoff to help me through those.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on Darlington: 
“We can turn this momentum around, it’s still early in the season. I’m real proud of the guys and Matt because they are all doing an awesome job. They say this track is too tough to tame, but this DEWALT team is pretty tough too.”

Notes of Interest:
In the past four times Matt Kenseth has raced at Darlington in a Busch Grand National Series car, he finished three times in the top 3.

Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series at 10:40 a.m. EST Saturday, March 17th. The green flag will drop on the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at 1:00 p.m. ET. FOX and MRN Radio will broadcast the event live. 

Matt Kenseth / Visine Racing Pre-Race Notes for Darlington Raceway

KENSETH’S MARCH MADNESS AT DARLINGTON: In seven career NASCAR Busch Series events at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C., Matt Kenseth has finished no worse than 12th. His last six Busch Series races at the 1.366-mile track have each resulted in a top-10 finish. Kenseth recorded a second-place finish last March and won at Darlington in March 1999.

100 PERCENT EFFORT: Kenseth has completed every lap in seven Busch Series events at Darlington Raceway. He has led 115 laps at Darlington, including 97 laps on March 20, 1999, when he drove to victory lane.

KENSETH TO DRIVE NEXT THREE RACES: Matt Kenseth is scheduled to drive the next three NASCAR Busch Series races in Darlington, Bristol and Texas. Kenseth’s 2001 NASCAR Busch Series schedule includes a total of 20 events. So far, he has finished third at the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, 34th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and 30th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

MATT KENSETH’S COMMENTS ON DARLINGTON: “It’s one of my favorite tracks, along with Atlanta, Charlotte and Dover. We’ve had success at Darlington in the Busch car and a lot of experience at the track. You have to get the car handling better than everyone else with good pit stops to win this race. It’s a handling track more so than a speed track. As long as we’re smart with our tires and make good, fast pit stops, we should have a shot at winning Saturday. We’re going to try to improve on what we’ve been doing so far this year. We’ve been in a position in all three of my Busch races this year to make a run at a win. Things haven’t gone the way we’d like them to, but that’s all a part of racing. We’ll try and make it to the end this week and win one.”

KENSETH ON THE HANS DEVICE: “I’ve been wearing it all year and I like wearing it. I’m not an engineer or doctor, but I’ve taken a look at the crash tests they’ve done and they seem to have good success with it. If it helps your chances in preventing neck and head injuries, then I’m going to wear it. It’s not a burden once you get used to wearing it a few times. My position is that it would be foolish not to wear the HANS device if it increases your chances of survival in a hard wreck.”

CREW CHIEF RUSS STRUPP’S COMMENTS: “Going to Darlington is always interesting. Your tires wear out in five laps and the car practically looks like it was hit with a sandblaster by the time the weekend’s over. Darlington’s a fast and challenging track, which is to Matt’s liking. We’ll give him a good, fast car and hopefully make quick pit stops so we can get a win Saturday. We’re taking “Chassis No. 12” to Darlington. It hasn’t won a race yet, but Matt finished second in that car at Darlington last spring. We’re pumped up and ready to go. It’s time to win a race.”

LAST YEAR’S SUNCOM 200 (March 18, 2000): Kenseth earned his fourth top-five finish in five races of the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series season by crossing the finish line in second place. He made a full-charged effort to pass Jeff Burton on the final lap of the SunCom 200 at Darlington Raceway. Kenseth followed Mark Martin and Burton for the bulk of the 147-lap race, but he did lead two laps. The Visine Racing Team serviced Kenseth’s Chevrolet three times under yellow flag conditions, but only minor adjustments were made to the Visine Chevrolet.

LAST RACE: Bad luck found Kenseth for the second straight Busch Series race. A week after wrecking at Las Vegas, he recorded his first DNF of the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series season. Kenseth finished 30th at Atlanta thanks to a blown engine. Kenseth began his 29th birthday starting 18th in the Aaron’s 312. He would maneuver the Visine Chevrolet as high as third on lap 119 after running out of fuel on lap 64. Kenseth experienced overheating problems on lap139. He climbed out of the car on lap 171 once the engine blew.

SPONSOR NOTES: Partners on the Visine Chevrolet for the SunCom 200 are BenGay and Cortizone, products produced by Pfizer Consumer Health Care.

DEWALT Power Tools Racing Atlanta Post Race Report

On the track:
The 38th place provisional starting position had no bearing on how fast it took Matt Kenseth to nudge his DEWALT Power Tools Ford into the top-10. He went from 38th to 10th in just 27 laps, but didn’t stop there. By lap 45 Kenseth was running 4th. He radioed to crew chief Robbie Reiser that the car was “a tick tight”. After pit stops for air pressure adjustments to loosen the car up, fresh tires, fuel, the No. 17 took about 15 laps to adjust, become comfortable, and to be extremely competitive. As a driver, Kenseth exhibited total patience, and when the car came around, he began to reel in the front-runners, one by one.

Confusion ensued when Kenseth was following the leaders onto pit road on lap 164. Apparently, there was no clear indicator pit road was neither opened nor closed. Both Kenseth and the No. 88 car were penalized by NASCAR and had to go to the tail end of the longest line for pitting when pit road was not open. Kenseth was shown as second on the leader board and had to drop to the 15th position. It only took Kenseth twenty laps to shake it off, and again put himself within striking distance for the win.

Heartbreak came when the motor blew up on the backstretch of lap 173 causing Kenseth to hit the wall in turn three. The DEWALT Power Tools Ford caught on fire, and Kenseth, who was wearing the HANS Device, ejected himself from the car immediately. Kenseth was released from the infield care center, and was not injured. “There was no problem with the HANS,” stated Kenseth. When it appeared he had trouble getting out of the No. 17 car, Kenseth stated his radio cord was taped inside. “I wanted to make sure the car was stopped before I got out. They’re (HANS) not uncomfortable. It’s easy to get out of the car. Whoever says that you can’t get out of the car with it on is wrong. For a guy my size it’s very easy to use, it’s very easy to get out of the car. I’ve been wearing it all year.”

In the pits:
For the second race in a row, the DEWALT Racing team made outstanding efforts in the pits. There were two pit stops in particular that made for major track position gains. On lap 204 Kenseth came into the pits 12th and with a 14.87 second pit stop for four tires, a track bar adjustment and fuel, he left the pits in the 8th position. The second key pit stop came on lap 232 when Kenseth came into the pits 5th and left in the 2nd position, when the No. 88 car just barely beat Kenseth to the line for the lead.

Front tire changer, Phil Drye, toughed it out after he broke a finger on his left hand in the early part of the Cracker Barrel 500. During a routine pit stop, Drye got his finger stuck in a wheel well.

Quoting Matt Kenseth:
“The motor blew up. What else can I say? The car was handling good to that point but we weren’t as good as the leaders. We were a third, fourth, or fifth place car before that happened. That’s the only part letting us down right now and somehow we need to fix it. Everybody is working really hard. Robbie Reiser is a great guy and he’s got a great team built here. The guys have been putting forth 100 percent and giving me the pit stops and cars we need to run up front.”

Quoting Crew Chief Robbie Reiser:
“What can I say about this DEWALT Team? We come here every week to win races, and lately we’ve not been leaving the track with our heads held very high. It’s amazing to see these guys with their morale up when they have great stops and cars, and they should feel that way, because the pit stops this year have been outstanding. I knew we had a top-5 car today, but when things happen that are out of our control, I just don’t know how to explain that.”

The next stop for the DEWALT Power Tools team is Darlington Raceway. Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series on Saturday, March 17th at 10:40 a.m. EST. The green flag will drop on the event at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, March 18th.

Engine Blows, Kenseth Goes Home 30th ( Visine Racing )

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 10) - The Visine Racing Team loaded the No. 17 car on to the transporter to go home sooner than the team expected Saturday afternoon. After Matt Kenseth first experienced overheating problems on lap 139, he climbed out of the car on lap 171 once the engine blew. Kenseth walked away in 30th and was one of 14 drivers to not finish the race.

“We had to hang it up and call it a day,” Kenseth said. “With the overheating problem, I couldn’t run it anymore. This happens every now and then, so you just accept it and move on to the next race.”

Kenseth’s 29th birthday began on a bright note. The No. 17 Visine Chevrolet started 18th and charged to fourth on lap 59. Five laps later, Kenseth’s problems started when the Visine Chevrolet ran out of fuel right before a planned green-flag pit stop. Kenseth coasted around the track to his pit stall. By the time Kenseth rejoined the field, he fell back to 19th.

With a strong car at the time, Kenseth gained all of the lost positions back in the next 50 laps. Charging to the front, he passed Todd Bodine on lap 119 for third. On lap 139, Kenseth brought the Visine Chevrolet down pit road to cool down because it was suffering from an overheating problem. He informed the crew the water temperature was registering as high as 270 degrees.

Kenseth brought the car in again on lap 163 when it continued to overheat. On lap 171, he drove the car to his pit stall one final time. A blown engine ended Kenseth’s hopes for a win at Atlanta.

“I’m disappointed after the way the car was driving so well early on,” Kenseth said. “I don’t know what went wrong, but we’ve been having some bad luck here lately. We’ll get it turned around next week. These guys have worked real hard to give me good race cars. Today, they gave me a good race car and unfortunately the engine blew.”

The Visine Racing Team moves on to compete at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina next week. Kenseth finished second in the spring Darlington race last year.

Kenseth Will Line Up 18th at Atlanta ( Visine Racing )

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 9) - Matt Kenseth brought the same car to Atlanta that started on the pole last year and finished second behind Mark Martin. Kenseth and the Visine Racing Team spent a majority of today’s chilly morning practice trying to figure out why that car wasn’t driving as well as it did last year.

Midway through the practice, Kenseth informed the crew that the air pressure on the tires did not seem right. After bringing the car in the garage a few times, the Visine Racing Team discovered a tire losing air pressure. Following several adjustments, Kenseth turned in the 19th-fastest practice lap in the morning.

“Matt knows what the car is always doing and can tell when a tire is going down,” tire specialist Art Harris said. “He let us know there was a problem with the tires, and sure enough, after awhile there ended up being a hole in the tire big enough to put your finger through.”

During qualifying, Kenseth improved his lap times slightly by registering the 18th-quickest lap in 29.567 seconds at 187.506 mph. This is the second time in three NASCAR Busch Series events in 2001 that Kenseth has qualified 18th (Daytona).

“We just had to make too many adjustments in the early practice,” Kenseth said. “Instead of just two adjustments, we had to make four. The car seemed to be a little too loose, but the guys will get the car where it needs to be. We’ll be fine and we’ll be ready tomorrow to run a strong race.”

Kenseth will start Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 from the outside of row nine on his 29th birthday.

“Tomorrow’s just another race day,” Kenseth said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my birthday or not. We just want to take this Visine Chevrolet to victory lane.”

In the final practice Friday afternoon, Kenseth showed signs of doing so by posting the third-fastest time.

Win a Prize by Finding the Visine Box

An oversized Visine Advanced Relief box has been spotted in the garage area, and it’s up to you to find it! Read the press releases and view the slide shows posted on this site every race weekend and the Monday and Tuesday following each race weekend. The Visine Box will be hidden in one of the photographs accompanying the releases or in the slide show.

When you find the Visine Advanced Relief box, email by 5 p.m. ET on the Wednesday following the most recent race. In your email, state if the picture containing the Visine Advanced Relief box was in a picture with a press release or in a slide show, and briefly describe the picture and where the box was in the picture. One weekly winner will be selected randomly from correct entries and the name of the winner will be announced Thursdays by 10 a.m. ET. Winners receive a Visine Racing poster autographed by Matt Kenseth and Clay Rogers. You have 30 chances to win, and you can only win once. Check out visineracing.com throughout the Atlanta race weekend because the first deadline for the “Find the Visine Box” contest is 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday, March 14.

Kenseth Favors High Speeds and High Banks of Atlanta

Hampton, Ga. (March 7) - On the same day he celebrates his 29th birthday, Matt Kenseth will attempt to clear the victory hurdle Saturday in the Aaron’s 312 for his first win of the 2001 NASCAR Busch Series season. And all pieces are in place to help make it happen.

Kenseth returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway with “Chassis No. 2.” It is the same car Kenseth piloted to the pole position for last year’s Aaron’s Rent 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He finished the rain-delayed race in second behind Mark Martin. Since Martin has retired from his NASCAR Busch Series career, it leaves the door wide-open for Kenseth.

“We’ve had success with car No. 2 at Atlanta,” crew chief Russ Strupp said. “We finished second behind Martin a few times last year, including Atlanta. Now that Martin has moved on, we shouldn’t have a problem contending for the win on Saturday. The team is really pumped up about making a run at a win at Atlanta. This is a place Matt likes to race.”

Kenseth’s resume of success at Atlanta Motor Speedway includes starting from the front row twice in three NASCAR Busch Series races - one of which was the pole last season. He also notched a pair of top-five finishes at the 1.54-mile oval.

“I really like the shape and layout of the Atlanta track,” Kenseth said. “It’s real wide and allows you to pass on the low or high side. I like all high-banked, fast tracks so I’m looking forward to Atlanta. It’s a place we have run real decent and it would be great to get my first Busch win at Atlanta.”

Said Strupp: “He favors the high speeds and high banks. You can practically run wide open there. It’s a challenging race track that Matt can dominate on.”

Kenseth has competed in two NASCAR Busch Series events in 2001. He finished third at the season-opener in Daytona and 34th at Las Vegas after starting from the pole.

“We’ve been a threat to win in both Busch races I’ve run this year,” Kenseth said. “Daytona came down to the end and we finished third. Vegas was a great start and we led some laps. I’d like to win every race I entered, but things happen like the wreck last week and you just move on and get ready for the next race. This could be our week to get in the win column. That’d be great.”

FX’s coverage of the Aaron’s 312 will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET, and the race begins at approximately 1 p.m. The Performance Racing Network (PRN) will produce the live radio broadcast.

DEWALT Racing Atlanta Pre-Race Notes

Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Atlanta:

Date:      3/12/00 
Start :     4 
Finish:    20 
Laps:      199/325 
Money:   $32,700 
Status:   Engine

Date:      11/19/00 
Start:      23 
Finish:    9 
Laps:      324/325 
Money:   $54,750 
Status:   Running

Quotes:
Kenseth on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway: “Last year in the Atlanta spring race we qualified 4th and lead early on. I really like tracks like this. I think we have things figured out in the pits for this DEWALT team, now we just have to get the cars to handle better. We should have been a lot better at Vegas last week, but the car would not cooperate. In the fall last year at Atlanta, we did really well, bringing home a top 10 finish. We want to be competitive and run in the front this weekend, because I know we have the ability and team to do it.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on Atlanta:
“We are taking car No. 6 to Atlanta. Car 6 is the car we won the Coca Cola 600 with. We replaced the body over the winter, but its the same chassis. We have a good track record of performance at Atlanta, so we’re hoping to have a solid finish and pick up some positions in the points. The key to being good in Atlanta is a good combination of horsepower, handling, and aerodynamics. This DEWALT team has worked hard to make that combination work.”

Notes of Interest: 
Matt Kenseth will appear along with Roush Racing teammates Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch at the Tilly Mill Home Depot to sign autographs on Friday night March 9th from 7–8 p.m. DEWALT’s Rolling Thunder display will be on hand as well as a No. 17 showcar from 4-7:30 p.m.

Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, March 9th. The green flag will drop on the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 at 1:00 p.m. ET. FOX and PRN Radio will broadcast the event live.

REPORT FROM THE ROOF
by  Mike Calinoff — Matt’s spotter

We started the race pretty tight, but were able to pit early and make some adjustments. The pit crew was fantastic — we gained spots each time we pitted and we’re all very excited about that.

LVMS is a pretty tough track. You need to be right on the mark with the setup and pretty much everyone was struggling all day. Finishing 17th was not what we expected, but we’ll take it and focus on Atlanta.

We’ve got a great car for the Busch race and we should really rock the house on Saturday. I think we’ll be really good on Sunday as well. My prediction is that Matt will qualify the car in the top-ten for the Cup race.

That’s about all for this week. I feel confident that we’ll have a good report for you next week.

— Mike

DeWALT Racing Race Report

Date:   3/04/01 
Start:  22
Finish:  17 
Laps:  266/267 
Point Standings:  20th

Race Recap: 
Matt Kenseth and the DEWALT Power Tools team started the event in the 22nd position. Early on, Kenseth radioed to crew chief Robbie Reiser the car was tight off the corners and in the center of the turns.

Kenseth ran strong all day, running as fast as the leaders on some runs.

On lap 27 Kenseth pitted under caution. He came into the pits in the 16th position. The team changed four tires, took on two cans of fuel, and made an air pressure adjustment. The DEWALT team pulled off a 13.94 second pit stop advancing Kenseth 6 spots to the 11th position.

The handling of the DEWALT Ford was temperamental for the majority of the 400-mile event. The car was tight early on and the team made air pressure adjustments, track bar adjustments to combat the conditions. The car handled better on longer runs. Kenseth led from lap 238 to lap 247 until he brought the car in for the last pit stop of the day. Kenseth and Reiser decided on a two-tire stop, and fuel in the hopes of not losing a lap to the leaders who took on four fresh tires. Within the closing laps, the leader passed Kenseth.

Kenseth finished in the 17th position, one lap shy of the leader. The finish advances Kenseth six positions to 22nd in the point standings.

Quoting Matt Kenseth:
“This DEWALT team had awesome pit stops today. I gained major track position from our pit stops. The car was just not handling right because first we were tight and after we made some adjustments we were loose. I don’t know. We’ll just focus on Atlanta. We’re taking the car we won with at Charlotte, but, again, I can’t say how good we were in the pits. It’s something we worked on all winter long.”

The next stop for the DEWALT Power Tools team is Atlanta Motor Speedway. Qualifying is set for the Winston Cup Series on Friday, March 9th at 3:00 p.m. EST. The green flag will drop on the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 at 1:00 p.m. EST Sunday, March 11th.

Matt Kenseth Runs Out of Luck in Vegas ( Visine Racing )

LAS VEGAS (March 3) - How quickly your luck can change in Las Vegas? Just ask Matt Kenseth.

The driver of the No. 17 Visine Chevrolet went from starting the Sam’s Town 300 on the pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to spinning around in turn two on lap 79 after Greg Biffle tapped him from behind. Kenseth was running second at the time of the spin.

“He (Biffle) was working the high side of the corner and I was already in the top,” Kenseth said. “I was pushing around the corner and barely let off the gas. He just ran in the back of me and spun me around. I’m sure it was just a mistake, but it kinda ruined my day.”

The Visine Chevrolet had to pull in behind the wall after the spin. The Visine Racing Team quickly made repairs to the rear end suspension that was damaged when Kenseth’s No. 17 car smacked the outside wall in turn two. The crew taped the decklid and spoiler after bending in the right rear quarterpanel. Kenseth returned to the track in 39th place and 18 laps down to the leader.

“We fixed it and the car ran fine once we got back on the track,” Kenseth said. “We ran for points because we’re trying to compete for an owners’ championship. We want to finish each race as high as possible while we run the full schedule. It’s important to finish all the races.”

After several other cars had trouble on the track, Kenseth advanced a few positions to finish 35th. That snapped a streak of nine top-10 finishes in a row for Kenseth in the NASCAR Busch Series.

“We had a top-three car,” crew chief Russ Strupp said. “We had very good pit stops when we had to pit that kept us in the lead pack. Then the bad luck bit us. It just hurts us in overall points.”

The Visine Racing Team moves on to Atlanta next week to compete in the Aaron’s 312 on March 10. Last year, Kenseth drove the No. 17 Visine Chevrolet to a second-place finish at Atlanta after starting from the pole.