The 35th annual Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition will be held Saturday at North Carolina Speedway. Crews will compete for a $30,000 first-place award; the total purse is an event-high $100,000, with a $10,000 bonus available for setting a world record.

Twenty-five teams are chosen to compete based on current car owner points. Each team is timed while two seven-gallon gas cans are emptied into the car and all four tires are changed. The defending champions are the over-the-wall warriors of the No. 17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford, driven by Matt Kenseth. They established a record time of 17.695 seconds last year.

Fans of the #17 team have nicknamed the pit crew the “Killer Bees” for the way they swarm around the car during a pit stop.

The crew’s lineup for Saturday’s competition is:

• Gas Man Benjy Grubbs of Richmond, Va.
• Catch Can Dave Paronto of Woodsville, N.H.
• Jack Man Russ Strupp of Allentown, Wis.
• Front-Tire Changer Phil Drye of Concord, N.C.
• Front-Tire Carrier Justin Nottestad of Cambridge, Wis.
• Rear-Tire Changer Dave Smith of Millersville, Md. 
• Rear-Tire Carrier Bryan Dunaway of Momence, Ill.

“The crew is ready for the pit crew challenge,” said Robbie Reiser, crew chief for the DeWalt team. “I would like to see them win it again, but this year there is a lot more pressure on them. I have told them this is their chance to shine, and it’s about them so they should have some fun with it.”

Whatever fun is had will be the result of long hours of hard work. In recent years, pit-crew preparation has been revolutionized. Many crews are now coached and conditioned by demanding athletic trainers, who in some cases are termed pit “coordinators” such as Andy Ward, who works with Kenseth’s crew. Pit stops are more vital than ever to a team’s success. A split-second here, a split-second here, and a race can be won or lost.

Good luck to the “Killer Bees” as they defend their title on Saturday!

TOWSON, Md. (November 1, 2002) — Since March, contractors and race fans across the country have been competing to see who could drive five screws the fastest in the DEWALT Million Dollar Challenge. This weekend at the Phoenix International Raceway DeWALT’s nationwide search for the Million Dollar Challenge Champion, “King of the Drill,” reaches the pinnacle, as the lucky 16 regional finalists will vie for a chance to win the million.

The DEWALT Challenge was developed in the spring of 1992 by members of the DEWALT Marketing Team and has since revolutionized event marketing within the Power Tool industry and become a fixture at every DEWALT event.

This year, DEWALT elevated the stakes with the DEWALT Million Dollar Challenge. DEWALT partnered with Chevrolet, Bombardier ATVs, Carhartt Clothing, Adrian Steel, and the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors bureau to create a nationwide interactive brand building promotion that has driven contractors and race fans loyalty to a different level.

The Million Dollar Challenge promotion kicked off at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March when NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers Matt Kenseth, Bobby Hamilton, Jeff Burton and TV personality Jeff Hammond drilled the first five screws. Since then, over 50,000 contractors have taken the Million Dollar Challenge at one of 450 retail, job site, or trackside preliminary events. It has all funneled down to 16 regional winners.

The regional winners and their times are as follows:

8.19 – Mike Fisher, Huntley, IL 9.38 – Phillip Elliot, Glen Aubrey, NY 9.94 – Jon Smith, Delaware, OH 10.23 – Joe Fodera, Sommerville, MA 10.43 – John Seymour, Charlotte, NC 10.46 – Ben Pece, Lyndhurst, OH 10.71 – Darrell Fink from Citrus Heights, CA 10.86 – Scott Brockbank from Orem, UT 10.97 – Bill South from Litchfield Park, AZ

11.10 – Mike Rennie from Kirkland, WA 11.24 – James McAnally from Lake Mary, FL 11.39 – Eric Anderson from Garland, TX 11.69 – Darren Johnson from Pembroke Pines, FL 12.07 – Kane Powell from Panora, IA 12.12 – Dale Howington from Buford, GA 12.56 – Ben Beachy from Mt. Joy, PA

Each of the regional winners have already won a 2003 Chevrolet Express Van equipped with an Adrian Steel bin package, $2,000 worth of DEWALT Tools, a Carhartt Contractor jacket, and a trip for 2 to Phoenix for the Million Dollar Challenge Finals. In Phoenix, Matt Kenseth will try to win the Checkered Auto Parts 400 in the DEWALT MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE car, and one lucky finalist will try to drive five screws on the front stretch at PIR in fewer than seven seconds to win the million.

The event should be nothing less than exciting.

“We have seen the same contractors four or five days in a row competing to win a preliminary event for a chance to advance to the finals,” said Todd Snellenburg, Event Marketing Manager for DEWALT. “Contractors have been training for the Million Dollar Challenge finals like an athlete trains for the Olympics. There is one guy who has been training blindfolded and many others who built replicas of the kiosk in their basements. Many of the 16 finalists claim to have beaten the 7-second million-dollar time. In their basement is one thing, but in front of 110,000 people on the front stretch of the PIR is another.”

“Contractors become obsessed by it, distributors demand it, and competitive tool manufacturers attempt to duplicate it,” said DEWALT Motorsports Manager Jon Howland. “The DEWALT Challenge is totally unique and from a marketing standpoint there is no better way to get our tools into the hands of users in a practical application type of setting.”

The DEWALT line consists of over 200 electric power tools and more than 800 accessories, including drills, hammerdrills, screwdrivers, circular saws, chop saws, miter saws, table saws, reciprocating saws, jig saws, planers, impact wrenches, die grinders, bench grinders, shears, nibblers, sanders, laminate trimmers, routers, and plate joiners.

DEWALT has also established itself as the industry leader in cordless power tools, offering an unmatched array of cordless tools in six complete voltage systems: 24volt, 18volt, 14.4volt, 12volt, 9.6volt, and 7.2volt.

Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 • November 3, 2002
North Carolina Speedway • Rockingham, NC
             
Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at North Carolina Speedway

Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
02/27/00	6	37	383/393	$31,200	Running
10/22/00	28	25	391/393	$36,775	Running
02/25/01	38	28	389/393	$45,200	Running
11/04/01	40	10	392/393	$57,375	Running
02/24/02	25	1	393/393	$157,400	Running

Performance Summary  at North Carolina Speedway
Starts	5
Wins	1
Top 5	1
Top 10	2
Top 15	2
Money won:	$359,510
Laps Completed	2,448 / 2,465 = 99%

Matt Kenseth’s Thoughts On Rockingham:

“I am excited about going back to Rockingham. It is the site of good things for this team and myself. I won my first Busch race there with Robbie Reiser and also it was our first win of this season after last season’s dismal performance. I think we will have a shot at it again, and hopefully my DEWALT team will take the pit crew championship again like they did last year. They are such a huge part of the big picture because these days it takes the driver, the car, the crew chief, the motor and the pit crew to win a race.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s Thoughts On Rockingham:

“We are taking car number 14 this weekend to Rockingham. It is the same car that we won the spring race with and also raced at Darlington. Every race counts until the end if we are going to keep ourselves in the top-10 so we expect a good run this weekend. The crew is ready for the pit crew challenge. I would like to see them win it again, but this year there is a lot more pressure on them. I have told them this is their chance to shine, and it’s about them so they should have some fun with it.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s Thoughts On Rockingham:

“Anytime you go back to a track where you’ve won — especially during the same season — it gets you pumped up and you know that you’ve got to be on your game. It’s also going to be exciting for our guys to go out and defend their Pit Crew World Championship.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

BLOOMIN’ FAVORITE… Matt Kenseth is tied for the series lead with teammate Kurt Busch for the Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Favorite Driver of the race award. The payoff is $75,000 at the end of the season.

PIT CREW COMPETITION… On Saturday, November 2nd, the DEWALT team will compete against the top- 25 teams for the Pit Crew Champion title. The purse is worth $40,000 if the winning team breaks the world record set by the DEWALT team last year of 17.65 seconds.

DEWALT MILLION-DOLLAR CHALLENGE REGIONAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED… The 16 regional winners have driven their five screws in record time and will vie for a chance to win the Million Dollar Challenge during the pre-race ceremonies at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10th. The regional winners are as follows: Mike Fischer from Huntley, IL 8.19 seconds; Phillip Elliot from Glen Aubrey, NY 9.38 seconds; Jon Smith from Delaware, OH 9.94 seconds; Joe Fodera from Sommerville, MA 10.23 seconds; John Seymour from Charlotte, NC 10.43 seconds; Ben Pece from Lyndhurst, OH 10.46 seconds; Darrell Fink from Citrus Heights, CA 10.71 seconds; Scott Brockbank from Orem, UT 10.86 seconds; Bill South from Litchfield Park, AZ 10.97 seconds; Mike Rennie from Kirkland, WA 11.10 seconds; James McAnally from Lake Mary, FL 11.24 seconds; Eric Anderson from Garland, TX 11.39 seconds; Darren Johnson from Pembroke Pines, FL 11.69 seconds; Kane Powell from Panora, IA 12.07 seconds; Dale Howington from Buford, GA 12.12 seconds; Ben Beachy from Mt. Joy, PA 12.56 seconds.

2002 YEAR TO DATE SEASON TOTALS
POINTS	4,067 / 8th
MONEY WON	$3,518,227
LAPS COMPLETED	9,268 / 9,713= 95%
STARTS	33
POLES	1 Dover
WINS	4  Rockingham, 2/24 Texas, 4/07 Michigan, 6/16 Richmond, 9/7
TOP FIVE	10
TOP TEN	17
TOP FIFTEEN	23

HAMPTON, Ga. (October 27, 2002) — Matt Kenseth finished the NAPA 500 right where he started, in 9th position.

Rained played havoc with the schedule all weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, canceling qualifying on Friday night. NASCAR gridded the 43-car field by car owners’ points, putting Kenseth in 9th spot.

The 325-lap race began on time Sunday afternoon with the green flag waving at 12:30 PM EST. Matt immediately began picking off positions, moving up to 6th spot by lap 17. The first showers of the afternoon began just 30 minutes into the race, forcing the caution flag to be waved. Kenseth pitted under the yellow, along with the leaders, for fresh rubber and air pressure adjustments to combat a tight handling condition. Thanks to the quick work of the DEWALT crew, Kenseth went back onto the track in 7th spot. But the moisture wouldn’t relent and the red flag waved for the next 2½ hours.

Finally, the rain ceased, the track was dried, and the green flag was shown. Matt ran in the top-ten the remainder of the race, despite battling a tight race car. The #17 DEWALT Team made several green flag stops along the way, putting on four tires and making major adjustments to tighten up the car each stop. With each stop the handling seemed to improve, allowing Kenseth to stay on the lead lap and in the top ten.

The rain made its presence known again on lap 241, which proved to be the end. NASCAR threw the checkered flag on lap 248, giving the victory to Kurt Busch.

“It’s good to get a top ten,” stated Kenseth. “We ran mediocre and sub-par today, so at least we finished pretty high. The DEWALT guys gave me great stops all day and kept me up front. They made a big difference in our finish.”

Matt Kenseth grabbed his seventeenth top ten finish of the season at AMS and continues his 8th place sitting the in the driver points standings, 361 points out of 1st.

Just three races remain in the 2003 season. The next race is on Sunday, November 3, at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC.

NAPA 500 • October 27, 2002
Atlanta Motor Speedway • Hampton, Ga.

Matt Kenseth’s Performance Summary at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
03/12/00	4	40	199/325	$32,700	Engine
11/10/00	23	9	324/325	$54,750	Running
03/11/01	38	37	273/325	$42,080	Engine
11/18/01	23	17	325/325	$63,275	Running
03/10/02	32	4	325/325	$91,700	Running

Atlanta Motor Speedway Totals
Starts	5
Wins	0
Top 5	1
Top 10	2
Top 15	2
Money won:	$284,505
Laps Completed	1,446 / 1,625 = 89%

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

“I really like Atlanta, and always have. It’s a track we have never won at, but have had some success there. Atlanta is one of the fastest unrestricted tracks we race on, so I’m always excited to go there. Atlanta is high banked and fast — I really like it because of the banking. You can get some major speed off the corners onto the straights.”

ROUSH ENGINEER CHIP BOLIN’S THOUGHTS ON ATLANTA:

“We are taking car MMR-006 to Atlanta this weekend. This car was built by the 17 team in their rookie year, and always seems to run well at the larger 1.5-mile tri-ovals. In fact, this same car brought us our first Winston Cup victory at the Coca-Cola 600 in May of 2000. The car has been on the track three times during the 2002 season to include California, a fourth place finish in Atlanta, and a victory at Texas. We always look forward to running this car because it races really well on these types of tracks.”

SPOTTER MIKE CALINOFF’S THOUGHTS ON ATLANTA:

“I love spotting at Atlanta. It’s fast and the DeWALT team always looks forward to going there. Matt really has the place figured out so I think we’ll be in great shape and try to keep a good spot in the points.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

BLOOMIN’ FAVORITE…Matt Kenseth leads the series in the Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Favorite Driver of the race award. The payoff is $75,000 at the end of the season.

APPEARANCES… Matt Kenseth will sign autographs at the Rolling Thunder trackside display Sunday morning. Check the No. 17 souvenir trailer for details of the session.

2002 YEAR TO DATE SEASON TOTALS
POINTS	3,929 / 8th
MONEY WON	$3,435,952
LAPS COMPLETED	9,020 / 9,465= 95%
STARTS	32
POLES	1 Dover
WINS	4  Rockingham, 2/24 Texas, 4/07 Michigan, 6/16 Richmond, 9/7
TOP FIVE	10
TOP TEN	16
TOP FIFTEEN	22

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 20, 2002) — It was a tough race for Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Power Tools team in the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Kenseth fought an ill handling race car to finish 19th, one lap shy of race winner Kurt Busch.

Kenseth has conquered short tracks this year with finishes in the top-ten each time, but that streak ended on Sunday. Practice sessions throughout the weekend were good to the DEWALT team, as they found themselves in the top-15 on the speed charts. Kenseth qualified in 17th position — his best effort to date at Martinsville.

Unfortunately, with the changes Martinsville Speedway made to the .5-mile track, Kenseth just couldn’t find the grip he needed to pass cars and make his way to the front.

The DEWALT Team made drastic air pressure and track bar adjustments throughout their ten pit stops. Kenseth said the car was tight in the center and loose off — and was so bad he was spinning the tires off of each corner.

Kenseth held on to finish 19th and avoided all incidents and skirmishes on the crowded track. He fell to eighth in the point standings and is now 334 points back from leader Tony Stewart with four races remaining in the 2002 season.

“We just missed it today,” said Kenseth. “The guys worked really hard today to fix the car, but it never got to where I could actually pass people. Track position was everything today, and we just couldn’t get it.”

Next weekend, Kenseth and the DEWALT team will attempt to redeem themselves at Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend. Kenseth finished fourth in the NAPA Auto Parts 500 last year.

UAW/GM 500 • October 13, 2002
Lowe's Motor Speedway • Concord, N.C.

Matt Kenseth Performance Summary at Lowe’s Motor Speedway:

Winston Cup Series
Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Money	Status
10/11/99	27	40	231/334	$19,680	Accident
05/28/00	21	1	400/400	$200,950	Running
10/08/00	26	9	400/400	$50,100	Running
05/19/01*	13	14	70/70	$28,900	Running
05/24/01	40	18	399/400	$65,630	Running
10/07/01	32	12	334/334	$52,440	Running
05/18/02*	1	3	90/90	$122,500	Running
05/26/02	21	2	400/400	$170,600	Running
*The Winston - non-points event

Lowe’s Motor Speedway Totals
Starts	8
Wins	1
Top 5	3
Top 10	4
Top 15	6
Money won:	$710,800
Laps Completed	2,324/2,428 = 96%

Matt Kenseth’s Thoughts on Lowe’s:

“We have had some success at LMS, and were very close to winning in the 600 last race. I think if all goes well, we should be very competitive. We are only 201 points out of first place, and the way things have gone this year, it still is anyone’s championship. I think Tony Stewart is going to be the one to chase this year, and the DEWALT team plans on giving him a run for his money.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s Thoughts on Lowe’s

“We are taking car 19 to Lowe’s this weekend. It’s the same car we ran in the spring race and for The Winston and finished in the top three. We are definitely still in this championship hunt, and each race from here on out is critical to our success in accomplishing that goal.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s Thoughts on Lowe’s

“With the way the points standings have evolved over the past few weeks I think the pressure is really on for everyone in the top-ten to perform. Given our history, when our team is under pressure we seem to shine. We’ve got a great opportunity this weekend and I am confident that we can capitalize on it and advance into the top-five in the standings. I think we’re going to wind up surprising a lot of people in the end.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

BLOOMIN’ FAVORITE… Matt Kenseth leads the series in the Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Favorite Driver of the race award. The payoff is $75,000 at the end of the season.

17 TEAM PIT CREW COMPETITION… The defending 76/UNOCAL Rockingham Pit Crew Champions will host a media day at the Roush Racing shop in Concord, N.C., on October 17 from 11–1pm. The DEWALT Million Dollar Challenge will be at the shop as well. Prizes will be awarded for the fastest media member pit stop. The event is not open to the public.

BREAKFAST CLUB… Matt will be the guest of Winston for the Breakfast Club Saturday morning in the Media Center at LMS.

APPEARANCES… Matt Kenseth will sign autographs on Friday Oct 11th from 7-8pm at the University Home Depot in Charlotte. The store address is 8135 University City Blvd Charlotte, NC 28216. He will sign from 9-9:30am at DEWALT’s Rolling Thunder trackside display at LMS on Sunday morning, Oct. 13th for the first 150 people in line. Tickets available at Rolling Thunder at 7:30am that morning.

2002 YEAR TO DATE SEASON TOTALS
POINTS	3,757 / 6th
MONEY WON	$3,317,397
LAPS COMPLETED	8,267 / 8,611= 95%
STARTS	30
POLES	1 Dover
WINS	4  Rockingham, 2/24 Texas, 4/07 Michigan, 6/16 Richmond, 9/7
TOP FIVE	10
TOP TEN	16
TOP FIFTEEN	22

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 6, 2002) — Matt Kenseth and the DEWALT team held their own on the monster 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway to finish the EA Sports 500 in 14th place.

Qualifying was rained out on Friday so the field was set according to Winston Cup points. Even though Kenseth was 5th for the day’s practice, he would have to start the race in 8th place.

Talladega is known for its multiple car wrecks that take out half of the running field, so the drivers were warned to drive sensibly and stay above the yellow line on the track. Also, the teams were only allowed a 13-gallon fuel cell, in an effort to break up the usual big pack of cars.

Kenseth started out strong, as he moved forward into the lead by lap four. He held the lead until lap 20 when a pack of cars led by Jeff Gordon took over. Kenseth fell back to seventh, but made his way back to second by the first pit stop.

The EA Sports 500 went green from the first flag to the checkers. The DEWALT crew brought the No. 17 car in for service on lap 34 for right side tires and fuel. Kenseth was pushed into the grass on pit road by the No. 33 car causing him to lose position. Kenseth went back on the track in eighth and could not find any drafting partners to push him back up into the front.

Kenseth pitted again on lap 67 for right side tires and fuel. When pit stops cycled through, he was 12th in the running order. By lap 72 Kenseth complained he had no grip on the left side of the car and the next pit stop the team needed to change the left sides. On lap 103, the DEWALT crew made a pit stop and gave Kenseth the fresh left side tires he needed.

Drafting to the front, Kenseth was running third when it came time for the next pit stop on lap 126. He fell back to 15th and stayed in that position until pitting on lap 170 for the final time because the team could not make it all the way to the end on fuel.

When Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crossed the finish line to win his third race in a row at Talladega, Kenseth was 14th. Kenseth gained major real estate in the Winston Cup Championship point standings as he is sixth, 201 points behind new leader Tony Stewart.

“This was better than a typical restrictor plate race performance for us,” said Kenseth. “There wasn’t a wreck, so that was good. We ran great, but we didn’t get good fuel mileage and had to pit an extra time more than everybody else and that hurt us.”

The Winston Cup Series is at “home” at Lowe’s Motor Speedway next weekend for the UAW/GM 500.

EA Sports 500 • October 7, 2002
Talladega Superspeedway • Talladega, Alabama

Matt Kenseth Performance Summary at Talladega Superspeedway:

Winston Cup Series
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
04/21/02	37	30	180/188	$80,905	Running

Talladega Superspeedway Totals
Starts	5
Wins	0
Top 5	1
Top 10	1
Top 15	1
Money won:	$332,210
Laps Completed	931/940= 99%

Matt Kenseth’s Thoughts on Talladega:

“Its awesome we have the chance to go for the Winston Million again. I think it’s going to be really neat for us and for a fan to win a million dollars. It’s a great opportunity for a fan to be able to win a million because they are a customer of Winston.

“Talladega is about the body you have on your car and the engine you have under your hood. With a little bit of luck, making smart decisions and being in the right draft with the right people is going to be important. Handling is not a big deal, because of the way everything is set up the cars are pretty stable. A good body, a good engine, and being in the right place at the right time will be key.

“There is not going to be a big difference with the fuel cell, I think everyone will pit more, but it makes me nervous to pit more at Talladega under green. As it is, getting onto pit road is scary under green because it takes more time to get to get down to the bottom. Sometimes it has taken me three laps to get to the bottom so I hope this does not mean more accidents getting on to pit road.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser’s Thoughts on Talladega:

We are taking car number 16 to Talladega this weekend. Our restrictor plate qualifying and finishes have been pretty bad this year, so we just want to finish this one and get out of there in one piece.”

Spotter Mike Calinoff’s Thoughts on Talladega:

“I approach the restrictor-plate races a little different than usual. Matt likes information constantly so I’ll probably talk more at Talladega than I will at two or three races combined. Aside from giving information about wrecks, I will be most effective trying to forecast which lanes are moving best based on which other cars might be in those lanes. It is also important for me to tell him where he is at all times. When the cars are three-wide, he needs to know where he is and who is around him. This week I will have a love-hate relationship with Talladega. It is a tough track to spot, but I’d love to win the Million.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

BLOOMIN’ FAVORITE… Matt Kenseth leads the series in the Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Favorite Driver of the race award. The payoff is $75,000 at the end of the season.

MILLION DOLLAR BONUS… Talladega marks the third race of the season where Kenseth will run for the Million Dollar Bonus. Kenseth was also eligible in Las Vegas and Daytona.

SEPTEMBER SWEEP… Since his win at Richmond earlier this month, Kenseth has continued to finish in the top-10. He has 10 top-5’s and 16 top-10’s.

2002 YEAR TO DATE SEASON TOTALS
POINTS	3,631 / 8th
MONEY WON	$3,250,102
LAPS COMPLETED	8,479 / 8,473 = 95%
STARTS	29
POLES	1 Dover
WINS	4  Rockingham, 2/24 Texas, 4/07 Michigan, 6/16 Richmond, 9/7
TOP FIVE	10
TOP TEN	16