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Articles

Fans pick Kenseth-Reiser, Jarrett-Parker teams as people of the year
Kenseth already thinking about 2004
Cheers for a Champion: Thousands of fans welcome Matt Kenseth home to Cambridge
Cambridge building to house Kenseth memorabilia
Kenseth’s consistency tops 2003 season
What I Like About You: Matt Kenseth


Cambridge parade and celebration to honor Matt Kenseth

Local Officials, Kenseth family and numerous friends will be present at a parade and honors ceremony for hometown hero and 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Matt Kenseth on Saturday, December 27, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. The parade will start in downtown Cambridge on South Street and will follow Main Street/Highway 12. It will end with an Honor ceremony at the Cambridge Fire Station at the corner of Main Street and Pleasant Streets. 

Cambridge Main Street property owners are asked to decorate store windows in honor of Matt Kenseth “#17”/”Welcome Home Matt” for the parade. Local groups are invited to participate in the parade or enter a float. Only floats or participants that will salute Matt Kenseth and/or racing, please. Children to age 14 are invited to participate in a Matt Kenseth look-alike contest. 


Articles

Mike Calinoff: #17 Team Dream Season Review
Ford presents Matt with a Ford GT Coupe
A Winter Wonderland For Matt Kenseth
Kenseth shines at awards ceremony
Kenseth’s victory lap Winston Cup champ takes some turns on the talk show circuit


Kenseth crowned final Winston  Cup king

Collects check of $5,138,640 from Winston as he is honored as the best in NASCAR 

Nascar.com photo

Killer Bees named Pit Crew of the Year

The $75,000 Mechanix Wear Pit Crew of the Year Award went to the No. 17 Roush Racing team of series champion Matt Kenseth, while Kenseth picked up $75,000 for the Waste Management Picking Up Places Award that goes to the driver who improved on his starting positions the most during the year. Matt also received the 76 Gasoline Champions Award


Photos from Times Square!Champ Week Schedule

Monday TV Shows photo gallery NYPD/FDNY Photo Gallery Championship Week: Day One 
Tuesday: Remarks by the President to the drivers ‘Ask the White House’ transcript White House Photo Gallery
Wednesday: A Conversation with Matt Kenseth
Thursday:
Photos from Times Square Champ Kenseth visits Times Square
Friday, Winston Cup Awards Banquet: Kenseth claims the Cup


Drivers meet with President Bush

Nascar.com photo
Nascar.com photo


Championship Photo Galleries

Nascar.com Monday Gallery
Signature Racing Photos - Champ Week
Signature Racing Photos - trophy pix


Articles

Look what a dad can get rolling when he promises a son a car
A fast look at Kenseth’s career in auto racing ... so far, at least
New king of the road: Kenseth’s rise to stardom began locally at WIR
Kenseth loves it on Broadway
Spotlight still doesn’t focus easily on Kenseth
Winston Cup’s best take bite out of the Big Apple
Winners receive NMPA Myers Awards
Q&A with Robbie Reiser
Kenseth’s savvy came from starting from back
Kenseth savoring victory lap
Kenseth named Sporting News ‘Driver of the Year’; Reiser named ‘Chief of the Year’
Kenseth has full agenda for NASCAR’s short offseason
Kenseth celebrating his way
Bush offers NASCAR stars presidential treatment
President salutes NASCAR stars, some of sport's top brass
Kenseth, Reiser visit NYPD, FDNY
Kenseth relives golden season
Kenseth, Winston share spotlight in New York
NASCAR's best busy during Champion’s Week
Land of the Cheeseheads home to top gearheads, too
The last Winston Cup Champ
Kenseth sets modern-era NASCAR record with 33 consecutive weeks at #1
Two of three new NASCAR champs bred in Wisconsin
Who is FoxSports’ person of the year?


Matt Kenseth crowned champion at Ford 400


Photo by Evelyn Rapp • More photos by Evelyn


Kenseth sets modern-era NASCAR record with 33 consecutive weeks at #1


Special series from Motorsport.com

Part 1: Race to the Championship
Part 2: Moving up the ladder
Part 3: The quest continues
Part 4: Taking Control
Part 5: Clinching the Cup


More Championship articles

Kenseth delivers first title to Roush
14 Years Later
Kenseth’s Cup title a result of teamwork
Roush finally has his claws in the Cup
Last-place finish doesn't dim Kenseth's joy
Kenseth keeps low profile everywhere but on track
Roush, Kenseth humbled by title
Kenseth Ends Year With a Thud — and a Smile
Kenseth, Riser and Roush: Guaranteed Tough
Kenseth last in ‘free race’
The idol and the champ
Engine woes put damper on Kenseth’s celebration
Don’t look for King Kenseth’s reign to be controversial
Kenseth not alone winning title with lone win
Badger State gives NASCAR cheese flavor
Victory Lap
Kenseth doesn’t have much to worry about this weekend
A new Cup champion
Kenseth relieved after championship run


Championship articles

No. 17 pressure cooker no longer cooking
No looking back for Kenseth’s crew
Roush team can’t afford to party
Kenseth delivers
Matt Kenseth Photo Gallery
Martin guides Kenseth to top
Roush, Kenseth made for each other
Consistency’s reward 
Where has Matt been? 
Father sets tone for Kenseth's Cup crown
How did Kenseth’s year compare?
Kenseth’s key is consistency
Kenseth’s title sparks local memories
Mr. Kenseth, please meet Mr. Favre
What a day!
Rough stuff kept Kenseth on lookout
FAST REISER: Chief makes Kenseth a star
After winning title, Kenseth ready for some football
Driven to tears
Roush, Kenseth defined by overcoming obstacles
Kenseth carries on Kulwicki’s Wisconsin racing tradition
Patient Kenseth takes Winston Cup championship
Kenseth proves Roush, Martin correct
Small town celebrates driver’s championship
Kenseth Surprised to Be Winston Cup Champ
King of the road: Solid finish settles the issue
Kenseth seals the deal
A year after most wins, Kenseth wins bigger with Cup
Kenseth lives dream
Kenseth wins championship
Firsts and Lasts
Kenseth’s 4th-place finish gives his owner long-awaited Cup title
Kenseth clinches title
Kenseth: ‘The World Is Off My Shoulders’
Elliott and Kenseth share the spotlight at The Rock
Kenseth clinches Winston Cup title
Roush’s long wait for Cup title finally over
Kenseth clinches 
Kenseth clinches the Cup with one race to go
Roush and Martin enjoy Kenseth’s championship
Kenseth clinches the Cup
Kenseth relieved to finally capture Cup title
Kenseth claims Cup
Title surpasses Kenseth’s dreams
Matt Kenseth locks up Cup title with another strong run Sunday
Kenseth clinches title as Elliott wins race
Kenseth clinches title
Kenseth clinches title; Elliott wins at Rockingham
Elliott Winner, Kenseth Champion
Title is a long-time coming for Roush


November 17, 2003
Quick Exit for DEWALT Cup Champions

Kenseth 43rd at Homestead-Miami

HOMESTEAD, FL. (November 16th, 2003) — Perhaps it was a great idea for the No. 17 DEWALT Tools team to lock up the 2003 Winston Cup Championship one week ago today in Rockingham. Matt Kenseth and Co. had an uncharacteristic mechanical failure, which relegated them to a last place finish in the final event of the year.

Rolling off the starting grid from 37th place, Kenseth radioed that the car was very loose, but crew chief Robbie Reiser assured him that the setup would come around in a few laps. Dodging an early caution in front of him, Kenseth pitted for the only time of the day on lap five.

Kenseth restarted in 25th place and got as high as 24th before the failure came without warning. The crew took the car to the garage and silently pulled out the backup car for the post-race celebrations. Speaking with reporters, Kenseth managed to put a positive spin on a strange exit in the final race of the year:

“Real disappointing for the DEWALT team. This is the same way it ended last year. We blew an engine in the last race last year, too. It didn’t really give us any indication — something just broke. It’s real disappointing. We had a pretty good car, you probably couldn’t really see it, but I think in a long run we were going to be real good, and hopefully be a factor at the end.”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS ALREADY SECURED. AS FAR AS THE TEAM IS CONCERNED, WHEN DOES NEXT YEAR START? “About two months ago. We started building cars and started getting ready already. So, we’ve got three or four 2004 cars done, and been to the wind tunnel and have been working on them. So, we’re already working on it. But, this is a disappointing way to end the day.”

After the conclusion of the Ford 400 event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the entire Roush organization gathered around the frontstretch for the trophy presentation by Winston. After doing a burnout on the frontstretch to the delight of the crowd, Kenseth drove the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford onto the stage and, as he exited the car, planted the final Winston Cup Championship driver flag atop the stage risers.

Kenseth’s final point total was 5,022 points, 90 more than second place finisher Jimmie Johnson.


November 12, 2003
Pre-Race Notes — Homestead

Ford 400 • Sunday, November 16
Homestead-Miami Speedway • 1.5 miles

Matt’s history at Homestead:

DATE

START FINISH

LAPS

WINNINGS

STATUS

11/12/00 28 21 264/267 $50,500 Running
11/11/01 21 27 266/267 $49,450 Running
11/17/02 13 40 223/267 $54,550 Engine

Matt Kenseth’s thoughts on racing at the new Homestead:

“I’m looking forward to going down there and racing on the new configuration. After locking up the title last week, I feel like we can really relax a little bit. I’m running the Busch car this weekend and hoping those extra laps will also pay off for me once the Cup cars get on the track. From what I hear, the track is going to be a lot of fun to race on.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Homestead:

“It’s a brand new track for everybody so we’re all starting on equal ground. We’ve got two great chassis that we’re bringing down there and whichever one performs the best for us and adjusts to the changes will be the one we use come Sunday.”

Notes:

  • Matt Kenseth clinched the Winston Cup Championship with a fourth place finish at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham this past Sunday. He becomes the 26th Champion in the last 53 years.
      
  • Kenseth now has 25 top-10 finishes in 35 starts, a league-leading statistic. He also has 11 top-five finishes.
      
  • If Kenseth wins the Ford 400 event, his Winston leader bonus payout would be a record $360,000.
      
  • The No. 17 DEWALT Tools team will be bringing chassis #27 & #29 to Homestead. Chassis 27 raced at both Poconos, and Chassis 29 raced at The Winston, Darlington, and Atlanta’s second event. The team will make a final decision Wednesday evening.

November 11, 2003
Where has Matt been?

CONCORD, NC (November 11, 2003) — When you lead the Winston Cup point standings for over 30 straight weeks, one good thing is that those around you have plenty of time to plan for all the championship hoopla.

With Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Tools team-those plans have hit overdrive in the last 168 hours. Here is what has occurred in Matt Kenseth’s life since the checkered flag flew at Phoenix International Raceway:

  • Matt traveled to Los Angeles, California on Monday, November 3rd to complete a round table of interviews culminating with an appearance on the Best Damn Sports Show. While onstage, he beat co-host Tom Arnold in a tricycle race on live television.
      
  • On Tuesday, November 4th, Matt traveled to Atlanta for his final scheduled DEWALT appearance at the Specialty Tool and Fastener Distributors Association (STAFDA) Trade Show. There, he signed autographs for over 200 people on the convention floor of the DEWALT Booth.
      
  • On Wednesday, November 5th, Matt traveled to New York City for a pre-championship mini-media tour involving stops at the ESPN-Zone and LiveShots, Inc., a satellite media tour provider. Following the appearances, Kenseth caught the New York Knicks/Milwaukee Bucks NBA basketball game from courtside seats. For the record, the Bucks won.
      
  • On Thursday, November 6th, Matt traveled to Rockingham, North Carolina to put the championship talk to rest. That he accomplished on Sunday, November 9th at 4:43 p.m. EST.
      
  • On Monday, November 10th, Matt traveled to Chicago for a NASCAR Champion media day in the Windy City. After speaking with several national outlets such as the USA Today newspaper and the New York Times, he headed north out of the city to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
      
  • That same evening, Matt showed up at Lambeau Field for the Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Before kickoff, Matt exchanged helmets with Green Bay quarterback, Brett Favre, then took a tour of the Packers locker room.
      
  • After the game, Matt flew straight to Miami, Florida to test his Busch Grand National car at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Testing began at 9 a.m. and Kenseth was on time.  

Punctual? You bet. But now you know why he hasn’t returned your congratulatory phone call yet.


November 9, 2003
Matt Kenseth wins Winston Cup title with a fourth place finish at The Rock

ROCKINGHAM, NC (November 9th, 2003) — Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Tools team won the 2003 Winston Cup Championship today with a fourth place finish at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. Going into the event, there were several scenarios which would have resulted in the clinching of the title, but one fact was clear — Kenseth needed to leave the track with a 186-point lead over the second place points finisher in order to win it all. He left with a 226-point lead. His fourth place finish was his 11th top-five finish of 2003 and his 25th top-10 of the year — still a league-leading statistic.

The weekend was full of anticipation and the team got things kicked off with a third place finish in the Union 76/World Pit Crew Championship on Saturday. Though they had won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002, the team’s 17.456–second effort still got them a podium finish. Earlier on Friday, Kenseth qualified in 23rd position at the track where he had four straight top-10 finishes.

As the race got underway, Kenseth held a cautious line in traffic and fell back to 30th by lap 24. He reported that the car was tight off the corners and many cars found the high line favorable when passing him. Just ten laps later, the car had stabilized and Kenseth reported that the car was coming around. He began to move forward in the field — all the way back to 20th on lap 72 when the first caution flag waved.

Kenseth came down pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. He restarted the race from 19th on lap 81. Two laps later, Ryan Newman got booted by Jeff Gordon, causing Kenseth to check up. He was promptly plowed from behind by Tony Stewart. “We just got hammered,” Kenseth radioed to the crew. Luckily, the hit was directly square to the rear bumper and didn’t cause any real or lasting damage. It didn’t, however, keep the crew’s hearts from skipping a beat.

Robbie Reiser brought the car down pit road on lap 85 to check for damage and change four tires and Kenseth restarted the race in 26th place. Within the next 20 laps, there were three separate cautions for incidents involving multiple drivers. “It’s like walking around in a minefield out here,” radioed Kenseth.

The team was able to get a long green flag run on the subsequent lap 117 restart. By the time the next caution flag flew on lap 155, Kenseth had made up a couple of positions and was running in 22nd place. After another four-tire stop, Kenseth restarted 20th on lap 160. The longest green flag run of the day paid off as Kenseth rocketed all the way up into the top-10 for the first time of the day on lap 223.

Things got interesting as the next pit cycle began. Many of the lead lap cars had already ducked onto pit road, including second place points car, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kenseth was on his way to pit road on lap 242 when the caution flag waved. Kenseth quickly and wisely shot back onto the track before heading down pit road, but NASCAR penalized Kenseth for passing the “commitment line” of the pit entrance on his way in. Even still, Kenseth was now one of six cars not a lap down in the running order. Earnhardt Jr. was caught on pit road during the caution and lost a lap that he never regained — all but handing the day to Kenseth in the process.

With the laps winding down, Kenseth made the most of the fortunately timed caution. Another long green flag run ensued just when the DEWALT team needed it. Kenseth moved up to fifth place with just 100 laps to go in the 393-lap event. Though the light at the end of the tunnel was becoming brighter, Kenseth continued to be all business on the track. He implored the team to make the car turn better in the center of the corner for the final run.

Kenseth never again fell out of the top-five running order for the rest of the day. As lap after lap wound down, the No. 17 DEWALT Tools pit stall became more and more crowded with cameras and media personnel seeking to witness Roush Racing’s first ever Winston Cup Championship in over 15 years of trying.

One final caution flag on lap 374 tightened up the field again. NASCAR turned them all loose for the final time with just 11 laps to go. Kenseth was running third, but gave up a position in the final laps to a hard charging Jeremy Mayfield. Crossing the line in 4th place as the checkered flag flew, 31-year old Matt Kenseth of Cambridge, Wisconsin became the final Winston Cup Champion.

Immediately two Winston- sponsored pickup trucks descended upon the pit stall to pit up the DEWALT crewmembers. From there they took a victory lap with Matt Kenseth bringing up the rear in the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford — having won the title in just his fourth full year on the circuit.

Afterward, a subdued Matt Kenseth spoke to millions of fans from the front stretch along the start-finish line:

“It’s unbelievable. This is beyond my wildest dreams. I never thought I’d ever have the opportunity to sit in one of these cars, much less be the champion. I’m just so appreciative to my team, my owners, and my sponsors, everybody that puts this thing together. I’m just real lucky. There are thousands of race car drivers out there that I’m sure could do a better job than I have and not many people get this opportunity. I’m just thankful to be in good equipment with good people working on it.”

DID YOU DREAM THIS WOULD EVER HAPPEN WHEN ROBBIE CALLED YOU IN 1997? “No. I actually had a big internal fight with myself. I was racing ASA up in Wisconsin and I had never pulled back on any of my promises before and I had to quit the ride I was driving to go down and take that chance. I felt like at the point I was in my career and my age that I had to do it. I thought it was my last chance. Robbie said, ‘Well, we can run four races or so and see how it works out,’ and I just moved all my stuff down there and went after it. I’ve just been fortunate that it’s worked out since that day.”

YOU’RE COMPARED TO DAVID PEARSON ON AND OFF THE TRACK. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? “That’s a cool comparison. I never got to race with David or watch him race very much, but I’ve learned a lot from Mark Martin. He’s taught me a lot on when to race and when not to race. I don’t do a good job at it all the time, but I