SONOMA, Calif. (June 24, 2002) — For a driver who never turned to the right in a race car before 1997, Matt Kenseth sure has come into his own racing on a road course. The 39th place finish in the Dodge / Save Mart 350 tells nothing of the tale that unfolded for the DEWALT team over the weekend.

Kenseth and the No. 17 team found themselves in the top-15 on the speed charts throughout practice sessions on Friday. They backed the effort up with a sixth place qualifying effort — their best ever on a road course.

The team was happy with the performance of the No. 17 car, with the AT&T Broadband paint scheme, and knew if they could race smart, there would be a top-10 waiting for them at the finish.

As the race began, Kenseth’s car was fast. He moved up to the fifth place and remained there until green flag pit stops began. Matt was running second when he came in the pits on lap 34. The team changed four tires and made an air pressure adjustment and sent him back out onto the track. Two laps later, Kenseth said something broke in the rear end of the car. He brought the car behind the wall, and the team discovered the rear end gear broke.

The team replaced it and Kenseth rejoined the race. His lap times were comparable to the leader at the time, but Kenseth was seven laps down. The team had to bring the car in again to change another gear, but by this time, Kenseth was 39th and a total of 20 laps down.

“I am really disappointed in this finish,” said Kenseth after the race. “I was so easy on the drive train, and this was our best road course effort ever. All we needed to do was keep it in the top-10. I know we weren’t the only ones who had these type of problems, but it still is unfortunate.”

Kenseth dropped to eighth in the point standings, 178 out of first place.

The next race on the schedule is the Pepsi 400 under the lights at Daytona International Speedway on July 6th.

Dodge/Save Mart 350 • June 23, 2002
Sears Point Raceway • Sonoma, Calif.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Sears Point

Winston Cup
Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
06/25/00	38	32	110/112	$48,190	Running
06/24/01	20	21	112/112	$53,200	Running

After 15 races

2002 SEASON TOTALS
POINTS	1,974 / 5th
MONEY WON	$1,946,477
LAPS COMPLETED	4,545 / 4,870=93%
STARTS	15
WINS	3
TOP FIVE	6
TOP TEN	9

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Sears Point

“I don’t think we will be in for a victory this weekend, so our goal will be to just finish good-in the top-10 or so. We had a great test session out there in April. They have made major changes to the track since the last time we raced there, and its going to be pretty cool to see how it all works out.

“Road courses are not my specialty, and there are 10 turns at Sears Point. It will be a pretty physical race, because of the constant shifting and turning left and right.

“We have momentum coming off of the win last weekend at Michigan. It was fun for all of us. We still have some ground to make up from those two bad races at Dover and Pocono.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on Sears Point

“After testing at Sears Point we are confident that we will have a good race. Road courses are so much different from everything we are used to. The track has been reconfigured so I am glad we tested there. You wouldn’t think you were at the same track the raceway did a great job. Hopefully we can get a top-10 and keep ourselves up there in the points heading into Daytona and the 20 race stretch.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s thoughts on Sears Point

“Spotting at Sears Point is can be a little tricky. I can see 90% of the track very well and Robbie (Reiser) will be able to handle the portions that I cannot see. However, Matt and I will be using some unconventional language during the race. Instead of the normal ‘inside’ and ‘outside’, I’ll tell him ‘left side’ and ‘right side.’”

NOTES OF INTEREST

New Paint Scheme…DEWALT Power Tools announced today it will continue its marketing alliance with AT&T Broadband by spotlighting a special AT&T Broadband paint scheme at three races during the 2002 season.

The AT&T Broadband paint scheme will be the primary colors on the No. 17 Ford Taurus driven by Matt Kenseth at the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Sears Point, the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and the New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. In addition to the specially designed cars, AT&T will be featured underneath the DEWALT logo on the rear quarter panels of the car for the duration of the 2002 season.

“One of the unique aspects of DEWALT Racing is our relationship with our marketing partners, such as AT&T,” stated Jon Howland, Motorsports Manager for DEWALT Power Tools. “We feel as though these special paint schemes make our program more appealing than others do as it allows companies such as AT&T Broadband a unique opportunity to market to their customers. We hope the AT&T car has as much success as the DEWALT car has had this year. With Matt Kenseth behind the wheel they have a great opportunity to get to victory lane.”

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America…Matt and Katie Kenseth will participate in the first three days of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride. Proceeds of the ride go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Go to www.kylepettycharityride.org you have found the best source of information on the 2002 Charity Ride and for updates several times a day during the ride. Book mark this page and follow Kyle Petty, Richard Petty, Steve Park, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Jeff Green, Matt Kenseth, Robin Pemberton, Winston Kelley and numerous other NASCAR celebrities, fans and sponsors as they roar across America raising money for children’s charities. (from www.kylepettycharityride.org).

Three’s a charm…Kenseth is the first driver of the 2002 season to win three events.

Oh Canada!!!...On June 30th CASCAR’s (Canadian Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) stars will face off against some of NASCAR’s biggest talent in the Canada Day Shootout at Cayuga Speedway in Nelles Corners, Ontario. Winston Cup drivers Tony Stewart, Johnny Benson, Ken Schrader, Dave Blaney, Matt Kenseth, and Craftsman Truck Series competitor Ted Musgrave will travel to Cayuga to battle it out with Canada’s biggest stars in identical equipment.

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 16, 2002) — It has been said that a person is only as good as the people they surround themselves with. Driver Matt Kenseth, is surrounded by the best pit crew in NASCAR. It was the total DEWALT team effort that made it possible to take victory number three of the season, at the Sirius Satellite Radio 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Kenseth’s car was middle of the road all weekend long. During practice sessions, Kenseth was 20th on the speed charts. He backed up the rank with a 20th place qualifying run. On Saturday, early morning rains forced the postponement of practice. Mother Nature finally cooperated, allowing for the Winston Cup Series to take to the track by 11:30am. The DEWALT team placed 24th on the board after practice was over, but both Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser felt they had a good car for the race.

When the green flag dropped on the Sirius Satellite Radio 400, Kenseth worked his way up into the top 15. He was extremely loose but the car got better on longer runs. The first chance for the DEWALT crew to help Kenseth’s car was on lap 48 under green. The team made an air pressure adjustment, and sent Kenseth back out onto the track, gaining of two positions. He was in 10th place.

By lap 74, Kenseth said the car was starting to tighten up along with the track. The field was spread out so Kenseth enlisted the help of his spotter Mike Calinoff from high above MIS to see which line the leaders were running on the track. In the meantime, crew chief Robbie Reiser called out lap times, telling Kenseth he was the fastest car on the track.

From there, everything seemed to come together.

Another round of green flag pit stops began on lap 89. Kenseth and the No. 17 car were getting four or five more laps on fuel runs than most other teams. John Andretti scraped the wall on lap 97, bringing out the first caution of the day while Matt was running fifth.

Kenseth pitted on lap 98, and remained in fifth when he went back out onto the track. His biggest problem was lapped traffic, as he fell back to seventh. On lap 139 Kenseth was in the fifth position when he came into the pits again for four tires and fuel, and went back out third.

The race went green on lap 143, and Kenseth passed Dale Jarrett for the lead on lap 147. He pulled away to a four-second lead, but was loose allowing Jimmie Johnson to pass him.

Matt got the lead back when Johnson pitted for fuel on lap 186. Kenseth came in as the leader on lap 189 for two seconds of fuel. The experience and skill of gasman Benjy Grubbs made the stop a success, and Kenseth went back out onto the track with the lead.

The final caution came on lap 195 when an incident involving the No. 21 car of Elliott Sadler brought the field to a red flag stop.

It was four to go when the race restarted and Kenseth held off a hard charging Dale Jarrett to claim the third win for the DEWALT team of the season.

“The 88 really came up there quick,” said Kenseth. “I think he would have had me in one more lap, so I’m glad he didn’t get there as soon as he did. It was a great run for the DEWALT car. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there and I’m pretty pumped to be back in victory lane.

“The last two weeks, we ran good at Dover. We were on the pole, but we had some problems and had to start in the back and ended up blowing a tire running in the top 10. So I felt like we ran pretty good there and did our job. Last week, we were running second when our transmission broke, so some things are out of your control and we’ll have to do the best job we can do to manage the things that are in our control and take them one week at a time and see where we end up.”

Kenseth claimed his fourth career victory and moves to fifth in the point standings heading to Sears Point.

Many thanks to Jayski.com for finding most of these

DeWALT.com: Matt Kenseth press conference
Augusta Chronicle: Kenseth cruises to third victory
ESPN: Happy homecoming for Roush; Kenseth comes up big again
ESPN: Kenseth first to win three in 2002
Speedway Media: Kenseth holds on to win his third of the season
RacingOne: Kenseth Wins Michigan Thriller
ThatsRacin: Kenseth collects another win
Race2Win: Kenseth wins at Michigan
Nascar.com: On old tires, Kenseth beats Jarrett at Michigan
Detroit Free Press: Kenseth takes wild finish
Detroit News: Kenseth hangs on to win
Atlanta Journal: Kenseth blocks out Jarrett for third win
FoxSports: Kenseth back in the hunt
Gaston Gazette: Kenseth repels Jarrett’s charge after a red flag
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Kenseth posts third win
Roanoke Times: Kenseth gets 3rd win after 3-lap dash
Speed Channel: Kenseth Scores Third of Year at Michigan
Winston-Salem Journal: Kenseth holds off Jarrett in Sirius 400
Frontstretch: Matt Kenseth wins the Sirius Satellite 400
SpeedFX: Third Time’s The Charm
RacingOne: Deserved Success
Stock Car City: Whose Day Was it at Michigan?
USA Today: Kenseth, golden on restart, reels in Michigan win
FoxSports: Secret’s out on quiet, confident 17 crew
USA Today: Team triumph at Michigan, by Matt Kenseth

Sirius Satellite Radio 400 • June 16, 2002
Michigan International Speedway • Brooklyn, Mich.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Michigan

Winston Cup
Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
08/22/99	25	14	200/200	$25,040	Running
06/11/00	23	17	193/194	$37,650	Running
08/20/00	28	8	200/200	$42,490	Running
06/10/01	31	15	200/200	$54,040	Running
08/19/01	33	4	162/162	$70,050	Running

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Michigan International Speedway

“I like Michigan. It compares to Vegas, so I think we will be good. We have a good car, and hopefully the bad luck over the past two weeks is behind us. Our plan is to qualify well, and race to the finish. Its time to get back to success mode.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on Michigan International Speedway

“We are taking car no. 15 to Michigan. It is the same car we ran last year and finished fourth. Rain shortened that race and our chances for a win. I think our chances are as good as any.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s thoughts on Michigan International Speedway

“Michigan offers us a great view. The fact that the track is so wide minimizes the amount of wrecks we might encounter. The DEWALT team runs well there so I anticipate that we’ll get back on track this weekend.”

LONG POND, Pa. (June 9, 2002) — For the second week in a row, Matt Kenseth and the DEWALT race team experienced bad luck on the race track. After starting in the fourth position for the Pocono 500, the team was relegated to a 35th place finish due to a broken transmission.

The skies were sunny on Friday for qualifying, but drenching rains from the day before saturated the ground, causing water to seep through the 2.5 mile track. The conditions forced NASCAR to cancel track activities for the day and the field had to be set according to points. Track officials worked through the night to repair the problem in time for Saturday’s practice.

Kenseth was middle of the road in Saturday’s practice, placing 21st on the speed charts.

Sunday brought sunny skies, and warm weather. Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser made some changes before the race, and left room in the setup for adjustments. In the weekly team meeting, Reiser told the team to concentrate on their performance on pit road because of the importance of track position at Pocono.

When the race began, Kenseth moved into the third position on the first lap. It didn’t take long for the car to become tight in the center and loose off the corners. Kenseth fell back to 10th as he fought the ill handling race car.

On lap 32, Kenseth brought the car into the pits for service. The DEWALT team made a track bar adjustment and changed four tires in 14.5 seconds. The car responded to the adjustment as expected, and Kenseth maintained his position in the top-10.

As the race wore on the car was still loose but the weather conditions changed. Clouds passing over Pocono helped Kenseth gain more grip on the track. The car tightened up when the sun returned. The next pit stop was on lap 67 while Kenseth was running fourth. The DEWALT crew sent Kenseth back out onto the track in the same position with the 14.6 second stop.

On lap 85, Kenseth’s teammate Kurt Busch tangled with Ryan Newman bringing out the caution flag once again. Matt brought the No. 17 car into the pits in third place, and the DEWALT crew sent him out as the leader.

Kenseth’s stint as the leader was short lived, because the transmission broke on lap 92. The team replaced the transmission and made all necessary repairs in only 38 laps. When Matt returned to competition, he was 38th on the grid.

When Dale Jarrett took the checkered flags for the win, Kenseth was in 35th place.

“This team did a hell of a job today,” commented Reiser. “We can’t help it that things break on us every now and then.”

“It’s just unfortunate to have a transmission break when you are leading,” said Kenseth. “Pocono is tough on transmissions and engines. I don’t know if we had a winning car, but we sure had a top-10 car. I’m disappointed because now it’s two bad weeks in a row. I guess you can’t have luck every week. It certainly has not been two of our luckiest weeks.”

The finish dropped Kenseth to seventh in the point standings as the DEWALT team heads to Michigan.

MATT KENSETH TO APPEAR AT CAMDEN YARDS ON JUNE 12

BALTIMORE, MD — NASCAR driver MATT KENSETH will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and sign autographs for fans at Camden Yards on Wednesday, June 12. The Orioles will play the San Diego Padres at 3:05 p.m.

Kenseth will sign autographs on the main concourse near Gate C through the first inning of the game. His No. 17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford will be on display at the autograph station.

Currently ranked 4th in point standings in his third season on the Winston Cup Series circuit, Kenseth has recorded five top-five finishes in 13 races this season, including victories in the Subway 400 on February 22 and the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 on April 8. Named Rookie of the Year in 2000, Kenseth finished the 2001 season in 13th place in the point standings.

Good seats remain for the Orioles’ 3:05 p.m. game against the San Diego Padres. Fans may call the Orioles at 1-888-848-BIRD or visit the Orioles’ website for tickets.

Pocono 500 • June 9, 2002
Pocono Raceway • Long Pond, Pa.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Pocono

Winston Cup
Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
06/19/00	29	14	200/200	$48,665	Running
07/23/00	24	5	200/200	$71,590	Running
06/17/01	31	6	200/200	$59,715	Running
07/29/01	24	14	200/200	$46,840	Running

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Pocono Raceway

“I like Pocono a lot. It’s like a road course and a superspeedway all in one. It’s the only place we go where all three corners are distinct. You have to shift and you can hit speeds of 200 mph on the straightaways. Speed at Pocono is a little different. Even though the track is pretty flat, it’s complicated.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s thoughts on Pocono Raceway

“We are taking car no. 5 to Pocono. It is the car we raced last year at Darlington and in last years Winston. It has been rebuilt since last year, and hopefully it will be a more balanced car than we have taken to Pocono in the past.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

Average start, finish… Matt Kenseth’s average start is 22nd and average finish is 12th in the 13 starts for the 2002 season.

Autograph session… Matt will sign at the No. 17 DEWALT Roush Racing trackside souvenir trailer on Sunday, June 9th from 9:00–9:30am.

Wrapping up Dover… Even though Kenseth sat on the pole, he still has yet to lead a lap at Dover. The 40th place finish was his worst finish of the 2002 season and worst since he finished 42nd at Indy last August.

Orioles Game… Matt Kenseth will throw out the first pitch for the Orioles vs. San Diego on June 12th at 3:05pm.

Appreciation Day… Black and Decker will host its annual Appreciation Day on June 12th. The event is not open to the public, but is a chance for employees of Black and Decker and DEWALT to meet with Matt.

Knack for Pocono… Kenseth has two top-10 finishes at Pocono. Kenseth finished sixth in this race one year ago and 14th there last July. He has led three laps in his four races at Pocono, all in the July race last year.

2002 SEASON TOTALS
POINTS	1,731 /4th
MONEY WON	$ 1,738,512
LAPS COMPLETED	4,284/4,470= 96%
STARTS	13
WINS	2
TOP FIVE	5
TOP TEN	8

DOVER, DE (June 2, 2002) — Matt Kenseth experienced one of his most trying weekends of the 2002 season at Dover International Speedway.

Kenseth grabbed his first career Winston Cup Bud Pole Award for the MBNA Platinum 400, securing the top starting position on Friday. Unfortunately, Kenseth’s motor blew during Saturday morning’s first practice session. Due to NASCAR’s one engine rule, the motor change would force Matt to the rear of the field for 400-mile event. The team rallied and quickly changed motors in time for the final Saturday practice session. Matt clocked in the 3rd fastest lap during Happy Hour and the team was confident they could charge back to the front on Sunday.

Kenseth started the 400 lap race at the tail end of the field, but he didn’t stay there for long. By the first caution flag and first round of pit stops, Kenseth was up to 23rd position. Track positions didn’t come easy because Matt was dealing with a loose handling race car. After several adjustments in the next few pit stops, things were looking up as Kenseth moved into 8th position on lap 126.

Kenseth continued to battle the loose condition but managed to stay in top fifteen the next 90 or so laps.  On lap 215, just as the team was preparing to direct Kenseth back into the pits for service, the No. 17 car blew a right front tire coming off turn four and skidded hard into the outside wall.  

Matt brought the DEWALT Ford into the garage for repairs but the damage was extensive, so it took the team close to 100 laps to fix the car. Kenseth returned to the track on lap 311 and nursed the No. 17 Power Tools Ford home in 40th position.

“We just popped a right-front tire,” stated Matt Kenseth. “That happens every once in a while. I’m surprised it blew when I was so incredibly loose. Those last couple of laps I moved up to the top to see if we could make some speed because we were at a big deficit all day. I was just trying to get caught up, but we blew a right-front tire for some reason. It’s just a bad break for us.”

The 40th spot finish moved Kenseth to 4th in the drivers point standing, 168 points out of first. NASCAR’s next stop on the circuit is Pocono Raceway on June 9th.