FONTANA, Calif. (April 29, 2002) — The annual visit to California Speedway is usually a race DEWALT Power Tools driver Matt Kenseth looks forward to. That was not the case this trip. Kenseth and his DEWALT crew worked hard to fight an ill-handling race car to bring the No. 17 home in the 20th position.

Kenseth started the NAPA Auto Parts 500 20th, and ran well in practice sessions throughout the weekend.

In typical racing at California Speedway, there are usually long green flag runs and pit strategy comes into play. In races past, the win has come down to fuel mileage, and the DEWALT team was ready for whatever the day would bring.

Kenseth first came into the pits on lap 19. He said the car was tight, so the team made an air pressure adjustment and put four tires on the car. As the race wore on, Kenseth said the car was still tight so on the next pit stop the team put a spring rubber in the right rear.

On lap 152, Kenseth tagged the wall between turns one and two. He drove the car around to pit road, and the team pulled out the fenders and repaired the minor damage to the car.

Kenseth worked his way back to 20th when the checkered flag dropped for race winner Jimmie Johnson.

“It was a bad day and it just got worse,” said Kenseth. “The car just handled terribly and we worked on it all day. We put a spring rubber in it, made track bar adjustments and air-pressure adjustments. Then I hit the wall in one and two. I just could not go any faster. Today hurt us pretty bad. We just missed it.”

Kenseth and the DEWALT team are now third in the point standings. They will head to Richmond next week to race under the lights.   

NAPA Auto Parts 500 • April 24, 2002
California Speedway • Fontana, Calif.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at California Speedway

Winston Cup
Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
04/30/00	23	3	250/250	$114,325	Running
04/29/01	23	17	250/250	$61,500	Running
Busch Series
Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
10/19/97	4	3	150/150	$41,225	Running
07/19/98	3	3	150/150	$48,425	Running
05/01/99	2	1	150/150	$73,200	Running
04/29/00	8	1	150/150	$68,350	Running
04/28/01	22	20	149/150	$18,025	Running

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at California Speedway

“I love racing at California Speedway. Robbie and I have shared great success there, with the exception of last year. In 2000, we led 120 laps, dominated and ended up losing the race in the pits. We pitted in the closing laps of the race, and took four tires. Everyone else took two and we ended up deep in the field. We raced back to third, and just ran out of time to catch the leader. I will never forget that day. Performance wise California is my best track. I’ve had tremendous success there in the past and really want to win there.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on racing at California Speedway

“We are taking car 6 to California. It’s the car we won the Coca Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with in 2000, and the car we ran in Atlanta and Texas this year. That car has two wins on it now, and we are ready for a third.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s views from above California Speedway

“I remember our first time in Fontana very well. We had an awesome car and a legitimate shot to win our first race. Unfortunately, a caution came out with a few laps to go and we finished third. That’s probably when I first realized what kind of potential the DEWALT team really had. At one point in the race Matt had an eight-second lead on the field, so there was not too much for me to say. He came over the radio and asked if I was still there. I told him that I was, but I was doing a crossword puzzle since I was so bored! We kid like that all the time on the radio but its best when we are winning!”

NOTES OF INTEREST

Kenseth Sits In Second… Matt Kenseth sits in second place in the point standings, 109 behind leader Sterling Marlin. The runner up position marks a career high for Kenseth in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

Impressive in California… Kenseth has won two Busch Series races at California Speedway. Prior to the 2001 season, Kenseth never finished out of the top-3 in his four Busch starts, and one Winston Cup start. Additionally, he has completed every lap of every race with the exception of one.

Lap Leaders at California Speedway… Three drivers have led more than half of the 1,250 laps raced at California: Jeff Gordon (329), Mark Martin (194), Matt Kenseth (122) and Rusty Wallace (110).

Top 10 Miles Leaders:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 548.50
2. Tony Stewart 485.68
3. Matt Kenseth 410.80

Top 10 Lap Leaders:
1. Tony Stewart 467
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 406
3. Jeff Gordon 345
4. Matt Kenseth 305

Appearances…

• Matt Kenseth will sign autographs at the Home Depot at 11884 Foothill Blvd. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 92405 from 7-8pm Friday April 26th. The store phone number is (909) 948-9200.
• He will also appear at the DEWALT Rolling Thunder trackside display on Sunday morning, April 28th.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 21, 2002) — For the second time this season in a restrictor plate race, Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 team were collected in the accident known as “The Big One.” This time, the wreck collected 24 cars, with only 25 laps to go in the otherwise green flag, and clean driving race. They finished in the 30th position.

Starting from the back is something Matt Kenseth has been forced to contend with more than he cares for this year. After taking a provisional starting position in Daytona, Kenseth had to start from the back due to engine changes in Atlanta and Texas. This weekend, Kenseth and the team struggled in qualifying on the 2.66 mile superspeedway, and would have to start the Aaron’s 499 from the 37th position.

However, during practice throughout the weekend, the No. 17 team showed serious potential knowing as they approached the race anything could happen.

During the green first pit stop on lap 55, Kenseth’s team made an air pressure adjustment and changed four tires. Kenseth spent most of the day “three wide” with the rest of the field but maintained the lead draft for the majority of the day.

On lap 47, Kenseth radioed crew chief Robbie Reiser and said the car was not able to perform well on its own in clean air. If there were other cars around him, he could run side by side and be competitive in the draft. He said he was awesome when there were other cars helping him from behind. Kenseth drafted into the lead on two occasions.

Kenseth was leading when he came into the pits again on lap 113. A lug nut fell off of the right front tire making for an extended visit to the pits. Kenseth went back out onto the track in 22nd position. A caution came out on lap 115 and Kenseth decided not to bring his No. 17 car back into the pits. Other teams did, and when the race restarted, Kenseth was the leader again.

The No. 17 car maintained a top 10 position until lap 160, when Kenseth was shuffled back to 25th. When the wreck occurred on lap 166, Kenseth was among the 24 cars collected before it was over.

Kenseth took the mandatory ambulance ride to the infield care center, since he was unable to drive his car to the garage. In the meantime, the DEWALT crew worked feverishly on the heavily damaged No. 17 in an attempt to fix the car and complete as many more laps as they could for points.

As Kenseth walked to his repaired car he told reporters what he saw from the drivers seat. “Tony Stewart and I were running in the outside groove, Tony got on the outside of the 33 car of Mike Wallace. Wallace ran Stewart into the wall so I went to the bottom. I started to slow down thinking everyone else would, and there was so much smoke everywhere. I guess if you slow down here you get run over. I was hit from all sides.”

Reiser and the DEWALT team got Kenseth back onto the track for the lap 175 restart. Kenseth was 34th, eight laps down at the time. Kenseth moved his way up to 30th in the remaining laps of the event to the finish.

Kenseth remains second in points, 109 behind leader Sterling Marlin heading to California Speedway. Before arriving in Fontana, the DEWALT team will test at Sears Point Raceway on Tuesday and Wednesday in anticipation for the upcoming road course race in June.

Aaron’s 499 • April 21, 2002
Talladega Superspeedway • Talladega, Ala.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Talladega Superspeedway

Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
04/16/00	42	18	187/188	$50,260	Running
10/15/00	36	10	188/188	$65,100	Running
04/22/01	40	19	188/188	$58,395	Running
10/21/01	24	4	188/188	$77,550	Running

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Talladega Superspeedway

“With this new rule change, you might see racing like Daytona where the field gets spread out. It will not be like last year when it was a 43 car parking lot, running 200 mph for 500 miles. I am looking forward to it, because this time when we go back, its going to be the person who has the best handling car, and the most horsepower who wins — not just the guy who is in front when the checkers fly.

“My biggest concern will be to stay in the lead draft and to avoid ‘the big one’ (wreck) that usually happens at Talladega, collecting half the field. We had a great finish there last fall (fourth) and are looking forward to another top-10.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on racing at Talladega Superspeedway

“We’re taking car 16 to Talladega — one of our speedway cars. The guys have been really busy at the shop this week because we are preparing four cars. We are testing at Sears Point next week before California. I am not real happy with the rules change for Talladega, but we will be fine.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s views from above Talladega Superspeedway

“Spotting at Talladega is about as crazy as it gets. Most of the race finds the field three-wide about ten rows deep — so you really have to be on your game. I actually like spotting Talladega because there is a lot to do and it keeps your adrenaline level pretty high. There are only about 12 spotters that use binoculars there — and you really need them. Anyone who’s not using them is literally lying to their driver.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

Kenseth in second… Matt Kenseth sits in second place in the point standings, only 27 behind leader Sterling Marlin. The runner up position marks a career high for Kenseth in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

TOTALS:

POINTS	1,182/2nd
MONEY WON	$ 1,146,112
LAPS LED	226
LAPS COMPLETED	2,758/2,832= 97%
STARTS	8
WINS	2
TOP FIVE	4
TOP TEN	6

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 15, 2002) — Two years ago, if anyone told Matt Kenseth and his crew chief Robbie Reiser they would finish in the top five at Martinsville Speedway, they would have never believed it. But after a second place finish in the Virginia 500 on Sunday, it seems the potential for success on any track Kenseth and his DEWALT team race on this year is endless.

Kenseth qualified in the 26th position at Martinsville. “That was not the fastest lap we could have run,” said Kenseth. “But I think our best starting position here prior to this weekend was 22nd, so we are pretty happy with that. I had a good handling car, it just was not as fast as some of the others.”

During final practice on Saturday, Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser felt very comfortable with the performance of the No. 17 car. Again, the car handled very well for Kenseth, and it was one of the most consistent cars lap after lap.

Just before the green flag, Reiser told the team, “Patience is the key today boys. Stay calm, we have 500 laps to sort this race out. It’s no mistake racing ... lets get ’em!”

Typical racing at Martinsville usually involves cars “beating and banging” on each other. Sunday’s Virginia 500 was no exception. Early on, Kenseth said the car was a little bit tight. They brought the car into the pits on lap 29 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment to free the car up. The DEWALT Team pulled a spring rubber out of the car on lap 54 when Kenseth came in for two tires.

Using pit strategy, defensive driving, and the right adjustments made on the No. 17 car, Kenseth worked his way up to the top-10. 13 cautions later and hundreds of laps later, Kenseth found himself in the top five.

In the race to the finish, Kenseth found himself in a heated battle with Dale Jarrett. Kenseth and Jarrett raced side by side, bumping each other until Jarrett got loose giving the second place to Kenseth. The final caution came out with two laps left in the 500 lap event and Bobby Labonte took the checkered flags for the victory.

In a post race interview Kenseth said, “We came here to Martinsville to run in the top-10 and we got a second place out of it. That is awesome for us. Our best finish up to this point here at Martinsville was sixth. We had some really bad luck here my rookie year, and to turn it around like that says a lot about this team. I’m proud of these guys and am happy to get out of here with the car in one piece.

“Leaving Martinsville with a second place, well, I couldn’t be happier. We had an uphill battle all day starting in the back. This is a real tough race track, but everything worked out in our favor. Robbie made good decisions on when and when not to pit, and we made the right adjustments on the car. Tony (Stewart) obviously had the fastest car, but we had the track position when we needed it — at the end.”

Kenseth notched his sixth top-10 finish of the season, and while still in second place, has pulled to within 27 points of the championship standings leader Sterling Marlin.

DEWALT RACING VIRGINIA 500 PREVIEW
Virginia 500 • April 14, 2002
Martinsville Speedway • Martinsville, Va.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Martinsville Speedway

Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
04/09/00	31	21	498/500	$38,625	Running
10/01/00	37	34	447/500	$32,700	Running
04/08/01	25	6	500/500	$57,750	Running
10/14/01	22	36	459/500	$37,725	Rear End

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Martinsville Speedway

“Martinsville is a tough race track. It is flat and slow so I’ll be using a ton of brakes. The car has to turn good in the center and has to get major traction off the corners. If the handles well in those areas we’ll have a decent finish.

“The best I have ever finished at Martinsville was sixth last spring. Before that I always said performance wise, Martinsville was one of my worst tracks. It only takes a few laps for the leaders to start lapping cars. You never know who is on the lead lap and who is not. Just imagine a constant train of cars just circling the track. Its too small for 43 cars. Thankfully, we are taking a good car, and it should be a decent race for this DEWALT Team.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on racing at Martinsville

“We are taking car 22 to Martinsville. This is one of our newest cars we built in the last few months. We need to be able to keep the fenders on it. We’ll rely on Matt to drive a smart race, and the crew to have good pit stops. We cannot afford to lose any time in the pits because its so easy to go down a lap in Martinsville.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s views from above Martinsville Speedway

“Since there is a lot of bumping and rubbing, a spotter has to be prepared for that wrecks can develop quickly. While the speeds at Martinsville are slower than Bristol, you need to maintain the same half-mile mindset. It is also going to be important for me to remind Matt that this is a ‘rhythm’ track — even the veterans have a tendency to over-drive it.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

What a difference a year makes…
At this point last season into Martinsville, Kenseth was 17th in the point standings with no top-10’s with his best finish of 14th. So far in 2002, Kenseth has recorded two wins, three top five’s and five top 10’s.

NASCAR.com Chat...
Kenseth will be a guest in the chat room on NASCAR.com on Monday, April 15th at 5:00pm ET.

Catching Up With Kenseth...
Matt writes a weekly column titled ‘Catching Up With Kenseth’ published after each race on USAToday.com.

Putting the Heat on Sterling...
Matt Kenseth sits in second place in the point standings, only 70 behind leader Sterling Marlin. The runner up position marks a career high for Kenseth in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

DEWALT Million Dollar Challenge Day at Roush Racing...
On April 16, 2002, the DEWALT Million Dollar Challenge display will stop at the Roush Racing shops in Concord, NC. Crews from the 6, 17, 97, and 99 teams will compete against each other to see who the toughest driller in Roush Racing is.

TOTALS:

POINTS	1,012/2nd
MONEY WON	$ 1,048,947
LAPS LED	226
LAPS COMPLETED	2,258/2,332= 97%
STARTS	7
WINS	2
TOP FIVE	3
TOP TEN	5

ThatsRacin: Despite early success, Kenseth not overly confident
Nascar.com: Kenseth cruises to second win of year
RacingOne: Kenseth the Big Gun at Texas
ESPN: Kenseth cuts into Marlin’s points lead
Catchfence: Post-race Press Conference
Checkered World: Don’t be fooled by Kenseth
Star-Telegram: From Last to First
Star-Telegram: End Run: Kenseth wins despite start on back row
ThatsRacin: 2002 dramatically different for Kenseth and other Roush teams
DallasNews.com: Worst to first: Kenseth wins TMS race
CNN/SI: Hard Charger
Gaston Gazette: From Worst to First
Fox Sports: Quiet Kenseth, Crew stay consistent
Rich. Times-Dispatch: Kenseth starts last, has a blast
Orlando Sentinel: Kenseth: last to first
News Record: Kenseth triumphant in Texas
KnoxNews.com: Kenseth takes Texas
Houston Chronicle: Kenseth wins Texas Motor Speedway
San Antonio Express: Kenseth wins TMS Race
Birmingham News: Roush gets cowboy hat, Texas victory
Atlanta Journal: Kenseth a winner from way back
August Chronicle: Kenseth passes Texas test
Catchfence: Kenseth steals the show
Frontstretch: Kenseth goes from worst to first at TMS
Speed Channel: Kenseth crafts second victory at rain-wracked Texas
USA Today: Kenseth comes from back of pack, wins at Texas

JUSTIN, TX  (April 8, 2002) —  Matt Kenseth and the DEWALT Power Tools Ford team have done it again. For the second time this year, Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser and the No. 17 team found victory lane. It was only after Kenseth passed every car in the field that he cruised to a win in the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in front of over 180,000 people on Monday.

The team unloaded the No. 17 car on Friday ready to race. Kenseth went out onto the newly paved track for practice, but was only able to make five laps before the engine failed. The team had no choice but to replace the motor and NASCAR’s one engine rule took its toll on the DEWALT team for the third time this season. The No. 17 would have to start in the back of the pack — regardless of the outcome of qualifying — since they changed the motor.

Kenseth and the team decided to qualify the car anyway, but it was only good for 31st on the speed charts. Practice on Saturday was canceled because of rain and thunderstorms. Luckily, Kenseth did compete in the Busch Series event on Saturday, and was a contender for a win, until rain halted the event just over halfway through the race.

Rain and severe weather washed out any opportunity to run the race as scheduled on Sunday. Weather predictions for Monday were much better, and the race was postponed.

Race setups and conditions were going to be major players in the guessing game for most teams — especially for those who did not test at Texas. Due to lack of practice during the weekend, NASCAR decided to allow for a competition caution on lap 36 to allow teams to make adjustments on the cars. Kenseth and Reiser were not too worried, because they brought same car they raced in Atlanta, and the two tracks are similar.

When the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 started, Matt had to drop back to the 42nd position. He was apprehensive about starting so far back in the field, because it was going to be hard to pass with only one groove on the track.

“I was real worried about the ability to pass here in Texas” said Kenseth. “I just knew with the new surface it was going to be fast, and hard to move up. I’m glad I was not right about that, because the track got really wide after a while. I literally passed everyone to get to the front.”

Early on, Kenseth proved his passing theory was not true, because when the first caution flag flew he had already muscled his way into the 21st position. At that point the car was a bit tight. On the pit stop the team made an air pressure and track bar adjustment to loosen up the car, and sent Kenseth back out onto the track in 15th position. Then Kenseth told Reiser, “This is one good handling race car. We just need to make a few more adjustments and then we can see what we’ve got to contend with.”

As the green flag laps added up on the score board in the 500-mile event, Kenseth had moved up to sixth place. The team pitted during the green flag on lap 102. They decided to pull a spring rubber out of the right front of the car, and it cost them track position. Kenseth and Reiser decided it was the right move to make, and the car was handling so well, that they would be able to get it back since they were still in the top 15.

It was not long after the pit stop that Kenseth again informed the team the car was going to be good once the tires got built up and the race stayed green for a while.

On lap 124 Kenseth said the car had an ‘aero push’ when he got behind a certain car. An aero push usually throws off the balance in a race car and makes it hard to drive. Once Kenseth passed the car, he picked up where he left off — moving toward the front of the field.

The team continued to make air pressure adjustments on the car during pit stops and soon Kenseth raced his way into the top 10. Green flag pit stops began again on lap 225. Kenseth was only a few laps away from making a stop of his own when a caution came out leaving just a few cars on the lead lap. Kenseth came into the pits on lap 242 for four tires in second, and left with the lead.

Kenseth then pulled away to an impressive 6.5 second lead over the No. 20 car of Tony Stewart. Unfortunately, he would not be able to make it the rest of the race on fuel and would have to stop with 25 laps to go.

On lap 310, Kenseth caught a break as the No. 97 car of Kurt Busch spun on the track bringing out a caution. Kenseth came into the pits and took two tires and enough fuel to go the duration of the event. He left the pits with the lead and never looked back.

Kenseth lead the field three times for a total of 84 laps and went on to win for the third time in his career, and for the second time this season. The car, chassis number 6, is the same car Kenseth won the Coca Cola 600 with at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May of 2000.

“That was awesome,” said Kenseth from victory lane. “I was so much better when I could get out front, and run by myself. All day we had a car that handled very well, and the guys did a good job in the pits, getting me out front when it counted. The track changed a lot throughout the day, and we were able to keep up with the adjustments and be there at the end.

“Our cars have been handing much better this year, and we have been able to be consistent. There is still room for improvement though. When a team has won two out of seven races, and still has room for improvement, that is a good thing.

“We were able to pass a lot of cars today, and the track got really wide. I came here thinking it was going to be a one lane track, but it turned out a lot different. Its really a great track.

“I’m proud to give DEWALT their second win of the year, and Roush Racing their third. Although its too early to talk about points, if we keep running like this, we might be in this position in the fall.”

“It’s about the people,” said Robbie Reiser. “The guys at the shop who put these great cars together for us are the best. Although its way too early to talk about the points, we just focus on each race one at a time. Who knows, if we can keep our heads in it, we might be talking about this stuff in New York. Matt is a helluva race car driver, and I am really proud of this team today.”

Kenseth and Reiser will head to Martinsville next weekend with the rest of the Winston Cup circuit looking for win number three of 2002.

Samsung/Radio Shack 500 • April 7, 2002
Texas Motor Speedway • Justin, TX

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Texas Motor Speedway

Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
4/02/00	13	31	288/334	$57,050	Accident
4/01/01	27	20	332/334	$80,700	Running

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Texas Motor Speedway

“The car we ran in Atlanta is the car we are taking to Texas. We ran so well in Atlanta and led some laps before we got behind on a pit stop.  I have confidence that we should do pretty well.

“Being second in the points right now, we are feeling pretty good for where we are at in our performance so far this year. It is such a long year, so I am not going to get too caught up in that right now. The team is pretty pumped up and we are doing the things we need to do to stay up there.

“Everyone is asking about the new surface at Texas. I think we will see some pretty fast speeds. I haven’t tested there but have talked to some guys who have. I think we will gain more speed, and a lot more grip. It was just getting to the point where you could run side by side there, but I think its now going to go back to a one lane track with cars running right on the bottom.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on racing at Texas

“We are taking car number 6 to Texas. That car is the one we won the Coca Cola 600 with and we ran in Atlanta this year. There is something about that car, and fast tracks like Texas and Atlanta that really work for Matt. He drives the wheels off of it.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s views from above Texas Motor Speedway

“Texas is the only track on the circuit where we do not stand on a roof. They have us  in a suite and it can get a little distracting when you can hear 42 other spotters talking to their drivers. As far as our chances, I think that we’re going to be strong just about everywhere we run this season. We need to keep our momentum going.”

Notes of Interest

Kenseth in second…
Matt Kenseth sits in second place in the point standings, only 99 behind leader Sterling Marlin. The runner up position marks a career high for Kenseth in the Winston Cup Series.

Appearances…
Matt Kenseth will sign autographs on Thursday, April 4th from 7–8pm at Home Depot (2013 Hwy 377 Keller, TX) and Friday, April 5th from 7–8pm at Lowe’s (770 Grapevine Hwy Hurst, TX).

He will also sign at the DEWALT Rolling Thunder track side display on Sunday morning before the race.

Humphrey and Associates…
DEWALT Power Tools and Fort Worth based mechanical contracting company Humphrey and Associates have formed a partnership for the Winston Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway. The Humphrey and Associates logo will be featured on the No. 17 DEWALT Ford Taurus for the Samsung/Radio Shack 500.