• NewsObserver.com: No hype, just wins: Kenseth lets his Winston Cup points lead do the talking
• Daytona Beach News Journal: Kenseth leaves laughs for wins
• TheState.com: Kenseth holds off 18-year-old for Busch win
• AJC.com: Kenseth gets win over rookie

CONCORD, NC (May 28, 2003) – Ask most Winston Cup drivers what their favorite racetrack is and likely you’ll get the answer of whichever track they are competing on that week. Oh sure, some manage to grouse about the road course races without much backlash and many do claim to like Bristol (also the fan favorite). But ask Winston Cup point leader Matt Kenseth which track he favors and he answers without hesitation.

Dover International Speedway. But, why?

Dover will probably always hold a special place in Matt Kenseth’s heart because it was the scene of his first ever start in the Winston Cup ranks. Back in September 1998, fellow competitor Bill Elliott’s father passed away, causing the 1985 Winston Cup Champion to miss the event. In his stead, he tapped a 26-year old fresh-faced Busch Grand National competitor named Matt Kenseth. Climbing into the “No. 94 Big Mac Ford” that day, Kenseth couldn’t have imagined how this particular run would change the course of his career. He finished an astounding sixth place overall. In just his first start. The media had a field day relishing the remarkable effort put forth by Kenseth that afternoon.

One year later in 1999, Roush Racing assembled the media at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway for an announcement that Matt Kenseth would move up to the Winston Cup ranks in the year 2000 with sponsor DEWALT Tools. There was one slight hiccup. Kenseth used the No. 17 throughout his Busch Series career. Although there was currently no No. 17 on the circuit at the time, it had previously been used by 3-time Winston Cup Champion, Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip gave his blessing to have Matt carry on the number, remarking that he felt that the No. 17 would have continued success with the talented youngster from Cambridge, Wisconsin.

Kenseth went on to post incredible runs at Dover Downs International Raceway in 1999 and 2000, finishing 4th and 2nd respectively. He also won his first ever (and only) pole position at the track last year in this same upcoming event, the MBNA Platinum 400. Not bad for a driver that readily admits that he isn’t a great qualifier.

Kenseth heads into Dover International Speedway this year with a 160-point lead in the Winston Cup point standings. Some journalists have already pointed out that nobody in the history of NASCAR has come from more than 231 points behind at this point in the season. That leaves four competitors within striking distance of NASCAR’s ultimate prize. And Kenseth is one of them. Though it is early to speak of championship hopes only a third of the way into the season, Kenseth is ready to kick off the summer stretch from his personal catbird seat, Dover.

CONCORD, NC (May 25, 2003) — Matt Kenseth drove the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford to a runner-up finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. However Mother Natures’ intervention may have cost Kenseth the victory in the end. Intermittent rain showers plagued the Carolinas over the past week and they once again manifested themselves above the 1.5–mile quad-oval in Charlotte. After raining off and on all day, and once red-flagging the event, the rain set in for good on lap 276 of 400, making it — technically at least — the Coca-Cola 414.

Kenseth rolled off the starting grid from the 18th starting position. Due to water seepage in turn four, NASCAR elected to run the first three official laps under caution. After finally being turned loose Kenseth methodically moved up through the field. It was clear from the start that Kenseth had a great setup in the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford. He barely complained at all about its handling characteristics, choosing instead to focus on the air pressures in the tires during pit stops. Kenseth steadily moved up until he finally broke into the top-10 on lap 50.

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser elected to keep Matt Kenseth out on the track during the first green flag pit stop cycles and Kenseth led lap 57 before pitting, earning him five bonus points. The over-the-wall pit crew was completely on their game during the evening as they cranked out one excellent stop after another. Their best time of the night was a blistering 13.83-second stop under the yellow flag on lap 129.

Kenseth moved into the top five for the first time on lap 95. He held the position until the first red flag period for rain, which occurred on lap 102. Being just a brief shower, NASCAR had the drivers re-fire their engines just 20 minutes later so they could continue. Kenseth made the most of it on the restart, moving up to 3rd. One lap later, he took over second place, then passed leader Tony Stewart on the next circuit around the track. It would be the first time Kenseth would lead, but not his last. Overall, he led a total of three times for 75 laps—the most of any competitor, earning him another five bonus points at the end of the race.

Kenseth held onto the lead and was rarely challenged over the next 70 laps. Kenseth finally relinquished the lead after pitting on lap 197. Near disaster struck on the next lap as the No. 21 car of Ricky Rudd slid off the track into the infield grass as Kenseth was getting serviced on pit road. NASCAR threw the caution flag before Kenseth and the rest of the field could get back around the track. Thus, three cars that had not pitted at the time now became the only cars on the lead lap. This very rare occurrence means that cars at the tail end of the lead lap can line up on the restart ahead of the competitors on the lead lap. Kenseth did just that, opening up a lead in front until a caution allowed him back on the lead lap just 17 laps later.

Kenseth restarted in second, but retook the lead on lap 234, gunning past Bobby Labonte in the process. Five laps later, the sixth caution of the night occurred and Kenseth returned to pit road for four tires. Eventual winner Jimmie Johnson barely beat the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford off of pit road and Kenseth restarted the race on lap 244 in second place. Sadly, Kenseth did not get enough time to mount a decent challenge as rain once again halted the event on lap 274. Two laps later, NASCAR parked the competitors on pit road and called the race.

Afterward, Kenseth was circumspect about his bittersweet evening in what should have been NASCAR’s longest event of the year.

“You know, I’m happy finishing second, but I’m certainly not happy calling the race at 9:30 at night. It’s the biggest race of the year and it’s not even raining, so I hope the rain hits here pretty hard and pretty soon so all the fans will feel like they’re not cheated. So will the rest of us that aren’t in first, feel like they did the right thing. But right now it’s not raining and it’s 9:30 at night. I sure wish we would have waited it out a little bit and had a shot at it. I’m real thankful and real grateful to finish second and to be with such a great race team, but the racer in me still wanted to race. I think, for sure, we had one of the three best cars out there and was counting on another 130 laps to try to have a chance at it.”

Kenseth then took time out to praise his crew and their efforts over the weekend.

“I’m happy we gained all the points back we lost over the last four weeks. I’m happy about that, obviously. I’m happy about our consistent run. We had decent pit stops. I thought we did a good job calling the race. I’m happy about all that. The racer in me still wants to race and have a shot at trying to win the race. I’d be happy right now if we could race 130 more laps and I’d finish fourth than to finish second and call it off early. But you can’t control the weather, so I feel real good about where we’re are. I feel real good about our run tonight. I think we did everything right and had ourselves in good position at the end.”

Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Racing team now hold a 160-point advantage over second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 2003 Winston Cup point standings. This marks the tenth straight week that Kenseth has remained at the top of the leader board and the eleventh top-ten finish in 13 races so far this year.

CONCORD, NC (May 17, 2003) — Matt Kenseth drove the No. 17 Smirnoff Ice Triple Black Ford to a respectable sixth place finish in the 2003 Winston All-Star event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Saturday night. Although it was a non-points race for the competing teams, Kenseth once again ticked off another top-ten finish, his tenth in twelve races so far this season.

“It turns out that we have a pretty good car for Charlotte,” said Kenseth. “We were able to make some adjustments during the segment breaks that freed us up and the thing just took off,” he added. The team has decided to enter the same car next weekend for the series’ longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600, also at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

As the Winston got underway, Kenseth began the event from the 17th starting position of the 24 entered cars. Twenty-three cars were entered with Jeff Burton, Kenseth’s Roush Racing teammate, winning the Winston Open for the final transfer spot. Kenseth quickly moved up to 14th place, but reported that the car was tight from the center of the corner out, causing the front end to push in turns three and four. Teams competing in the first 40-lap segment were required to make one green flag pit stop to change four tires. Crew Chief Robbie Reiser chose to bring Matt Kenseth in on lap 18 for service. Kenseth then returned to the track and finished the first segment in 11th place, just behind Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch. The final four finishers of the segment were eliminated, leaving just 20 cars to compete for the $1 million prize.

After a ten-minute break on pit road, the second segment of the Winston got underway just before 10:00 p.m. The second segment was set for 30 laps, with the final six cars being eliminated. The No. 17 Smirnoff Ice Triple Black Ford took off like a shot and Kenseth quickly moved into sixth just three laps into the second segment. He reported that the car was still a little tight in the center of the corners, but the exit pickup was way better coming off the corners. A brief caution ensued on lap 47 of the event as two cars got together coming off turn two. Reiser kept Kenseth out on the track and he moved into the top-five for the first time. Quickly moving into fourth place after the restart, another caution occurred on lap 55.

A heavy debate began about whether or not to pit for tires or stay out for track position. In the end, the first and third place cars pitted, but Kenseth and the second place car stayed out and Kenseth assumed second place. He was shuffled back on the ensuing restart after losing a little grip as the green flag waved. On lap 69, the biggest incident of the night occurred as Tony Stewart got together with Terry Labonte heading into turn one. The wreck took out six cars, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kenseth’s Roush Racing teammate Mark Martin. One lap later, the segment ended as they took the caution flag and Kenseth slid into fourth place.

After the final ten-minute break, fans voted to invert the top ten finishers of the remaining 12 cars still able to continue the final 20-lap shootout. Shortly before 11:00 p.m., the green flag waved again. Starting seventh, Kenseth quickly grabbed sixth in what was becoming a free-for-all race. Cars dove high and low in the corners, trying to work their way to the front. Kenseth fell back to ninth on lap 75 of the 90-lap event, but fought back hard on the inside, passing three cars over the final 15 laps. In the end, the Smirnoff Ice Triple Black Ford was sixth at the checkered flag, just missing a top-five finish.

HUNTERSVILLE, NC (May 9, 2003) — Roush Racing announced today that DEWALT Industrial Power Tool Co. has signed a multi-year extension to continue as the primary sponsor of the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford Taurus driven by current point leader Matt Kenseth in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

“The race program with Matt Kenseth and Roush has become a focal point for DEWALT’s relationship with our customers and end users,” stated Chris Allen, DEWALT’s Vice-President of Marketing. “We’re really excited by the marketing gains the DEWALT team has helped us achieve and we look forward to several more years of on and off-track success with Roush and Matt,” he added.

In keeping with the practices of both companies, financial terms were not disclosed.

“DEWALT’s decision to continue to invest in Roush Racing and NASCAR as a sport reflects the continuing and growing value of race team sponsorship as a business choice,” said Roush Racing President Geoff Smith. “This will be our third contract with DEWALT and highlights the successful long-term associations that Roush Racing and our sponsors enjoy,” he added.

Driver Matt Kenseth is currently enjoying his eighth-straight week at the top of the Winston Cup point standings, where he holds a 20-point lead over second place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Kenseth has one win, four top-fives and a league-leading nine top-10 finishes in 11 starts in 2003.

“The extension of the DEWALT relationship means a lot to me,” said the Cambridge, Wisconsin native. “DEWALT has been my primary sponsor since I began in the Busch Series and I’m happy to know that we’ll be together many more years in the Winston Cup Series. I think we’ve gotten off to a great start this year with our consistency and our goal is to do our best week in and week out in order to put ourselves in position to bring DEWALT and Jack Roush a Winston Cup Championship,” he added.

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Michigan, based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Winston Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle; two in the Busch Series with Stanton Barrett and Burton; and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards.

Based in Baltimore, Md., DEWALT manufactures and markets over 200 high performance industrial power tools and over 800 power tool accessories, as well as pneumatic tools, laser levels and generators. DEWALT is committed to developing innovative products designed to meet the needs of residential and industrial contractors as well as professional woodworkers. For more information on DEWALT products, call toll free 1-800-4DEWALT or visit www.DEWALT.com.

RICHMOND, VA (May 3, 2003) — Ask any avowed NASCAR expert from drivers to broadcasters and they’ll tell you that championship contenders are rewarded by consistency throughout the season. The 2003 definition of consistency as defined in the Webster’s Dictionary is currently listed as Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford. Kenseth rallied to finish seventh in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was his ninth top-10 finish in eleven starts this year—a league-leading statistic.

Rolling off the starting grid from the 18th position, Matt Kenseth wasted little time in his quest to move up through the field. Though he reported that his car was loose early, it didn’t stop his forward progress as he cracked the top-10 for the first time by lap 30, passing rookie Casey Mears in the process. The first caution period for the night occurred on lap 43. Kenseth dove into the pits for a four-tire change in 15.49 seconds.

After the ensuing restart, Kenseth reported the car still to be “too loose in and too loose off,” but it may have had more to do with the track conditions than the actual setup of the No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford. A fine mist began to fall in the opening moments of the race and slight drizzle continued for most of the evening. The dampness did not, however, lead to a race stoppage until the very end of the event with seven laps remaining. Many drivers reported throughout the night that the track was slick. Over laps 108 to 140, Kenseth reported that the car was “incredibly loose,” but a caution flag on lap 140 allowed the crew to make adjustments. A small dispute erupted in the DeWalt pits as Kenseth, crew chief Robbie Reiser and NASCAR went back and forth over the issue of who left the pits in what order. NASCAR seemed to think that several cars had beaten Kenseth out of the pits, however a review of the videotape exonerated Kenseth, who knew all along who he was ahead of.

Just past the halfway point, NASCAR did call a brief caution period for rain, but did not red flag the event. Crew chief Robbie Reiser elected to keep Kenseth out on the track with the rest of the leaders, running in eighth place. Several other cars, including those already a lap down did pit for tires, creating a true strategy race for the DeWalt team. Reiser would have to come up with a plan to use his remaining stops for fuel strategy. The first pit stop of that strategy occurred on lap 225 as Kenseth pitted for four tires. Teams who previously pitted now stayed out. Kenseth returned to the track in 19th place.

Near disaster was avoided on the ensuing restart as the cars of Kenseth and rookie Casey Mears locked together nose-to-tail heading into turn three. “I bashed it pretty good,” Kenseth radioed. A trip down pit road for repairs showed no significant damage, just minor cosmetic work on the left front fender fixed by Car boss Jeff Vandermoss. Kenseth did drop to one of the final cars on the lead lap, now shown in 28th.

He didn’t stay there long. Robbie Reiser continued to plot Kenseth’s extra stops in hopes of making it the rest of the way on fuel. With rain constantly a real threat, strategy became a premium. Kenseth pitted three more times over the next 20 laps, each time taking four tires. On the next restart, he blazed past seven cars in 20 laps.

By lap 338, Kenseth was locked in a tough battle with Ward Burton for position in the top-10. By lap 352, he had moved into seventh. Following a slew of cautions and subsequent restarts late in the event, Kenseth worked his way to sixth, knocking on the door of a top-five finish. However, after a final restart on lap 388 of the 400-lap event, a crash ensued just in front of Kenseth. As he checked up slightly to maneuver around the carnage, competitor Kevin Harvick muscled his way up the side of the No. 17 DeWalt Ford in an all-out dive to the inside. Understandably, Kenseth was not happy with Harvick’s actions and reminded crew chief Robbie Reiser to take the issue up with NASCAR, who in the pre-race driver meeting admonishes such actions. Unfortunately, NASCAR had other problems of their own as they decided that seven laps from the finish would be the correct time to red-flag the event for rain—much to the capacity crowd’s displeasure. Kenseth would have to settle for seventh, but considering it was another top-10 for the DeWalt Tools team, the evening became just another day at the office for Matt Kenseth.

Kenseth continues to lead the 2003 Winston Cup point standings for the eighth week in a row. Though second place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. did chip away at the difference, Kenseth maintains a 20-point advantage (1619–1599) heading into the season’s second off-weekend for Mother’s Day.