• Kenseth moves past his mistake

• Mental lapse puts Kenseth in backup, starting 15th

• Kenseth rebounds after practice crash

Matt Kenseth on Pocono Raceway:

“I’m glad to get back to Pocono with the chassis we’re bringing. It’s just a great car and it’s my favorite. We usually do pretty well at this place and I just enjoy going through the practice sessions and working to get the car as good as possible for race day. There’s a lot of ground to cover just trying to make your car behave in the three different turns that we deal with there. We got a good finish last weekend — more like what we’re used to running like as a team and we just need to continue to do that each week until we get to the final ten races.”

Robbie Reiser on Pocono Raceway:

“Usually I talk about what a great car we’re bringing, but I’m more excited this week about our pit crew and the awesome day they had on pit road last week. Four stops at plus-nine positions with nothing lost. If they can keep that up, we’re going to be a real threat every week. It makes a big difference in your track position.”

Notable Notes

• Interview with Matt Kenseth
• Reigning Cup Champion Matt Kenseth Files First Banknorth 250 Entry
• Kenseth, Busch are opposites
• Kenseth takes 3rd in Banknorth 250
• Make it two in a Rowe
• 2 in a Rowe
• Team adopts Nascar driver
• Photos 1
• Photos 2
• Tire problems sideline Kenseth at Slinger in Miller Lite Nationals
• Photos
• Stops and starts: Kenseth, crew set up cars at Mile sessions
• NASCAR’s last true champion

Finishing off Success

Last season at NHIS, Kenseth used the strength of a late race two tire stop to notch a third place finish in the New England 200. After pushing and shoving his way up to the 15th place position at the tough, difficult passing, one-mile speedway, Kenseth was able to jump to the second place position following a two tire stop on lap 160. Kenseth would only fall one spot to third over the remaining 35 laps to grab his best finish Busch finish in four trips to the Magic Mile.

Notes

• Kenseth has never led a lap in Busch Series competition at NHIS

• Kenseth holds an average finish of 17th at NHIS

• Kenseth will make his 153rd career Busch Series start on Saturday at NHIS

• In 13 Cup appearances at NHIS, Kenseth holds an 13th place average finish with a best showing of third in last season’s spring event.

The car

Kenseth will be piloting chassis No. 41 this coming weekend at New Hampshire. This chassis was previously used in last season’s events at New Hampshire, Phoenix and Miami Homestead. In three appearances, the No. 41 chassis has a best finish of third, coming one year ago at NHIS. The No. 17 Ford will carry the familiar yellow and brown colors of Bayer Aspirin for this coming weekend’s event for the fourth and final time this season. Express Personnel will serve as an associate sponsor.

Kenseth on NHIS:

“I am definitely ready to put the Bayer/Express Personnel Ford back in victory lane and start collecting the type of finishes we deserve. The last few outings have not exactly produced the outcomes we were anticipating.

“Our last race in Chicago I think was one of our best performances overall this season, with the exception of having trouble with the right front tire on two separate occasions. The car was prepared fast when we unloaded and remained that way throughout the entire weekend. We posted our best qualifying effort of the weekend and I believe we had the car to beat had we not had our tire problems. I am real pleased with the effort and preparation from the guys putting together a strong race car.

“We come to the race track with a ‘must win’ attitude, and I expect no different this coming weekend. I would like to think that the results from our last two outings will make us even hungrier to get back to the winners circle. New Hampshire is a tough track to pass at, so grabbing a solid qualifying position on Friday and keeping good track position on Saturday will be extremely important in giving us a chance to win. We are taking a proven car with us this weekend and I am looking forward to getting back to finishing up front and to putting together a great overall weekend at the track.”

CONCORD, NC (July 20, 2004) — Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Racing team recently wrapped up a two-day test at the Milwaukee Mile last week. Not only did they shake down their car for the “Magic Mile” in New Hampshire this weekend, but also they got to make a few runs with their brand new car for Indianapolis later next month. Both cars performed quite well according to crew chief Robbie Reiser.

“From what I could tell, we have some great data off of both cars,” said Reiser. “I didn’t know how much time we were going to get on the second car once we started, but we were able to make quite a few changes and runs,” he added.

It’s no secret that Reiser and Company have carefully held back their official test sessions in the 2004 season in order to bolster their final 10-race NEXTEL Cup Chase for the Championship, should they stay on track for the remaining eight races.

The team spent most of their preparation time on Chassis No. 33, which will be the primary car this weekend at Loudon, New Hampshire in the Siemens 300 event on Sunday. “We ran this car at Richmond earlier this year and we all agreed it would be the best piece for Loudon,” added Reiser. For the record, the car finished in fifth place in its only start this year in the Chevy Revolution 400 back in May.

The car will once again carry primary sponsorship from the Smirnoff Ice brand for the third time this year. They have three other primary race events, August 8th at the Brickyard, September 5th in Fontana and October 5th in Talladega. The sponsorship for the car revolves around Matt Kenseth’s involvement with their “Be Smart, Drink Responsibly” campaign.

Siemens 400 • Sunday, July 25th; 2:00 p.m. EDT
New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

Matt Kenseth performance summary at New Hampshire:

Notable Notes

CONCORD, NC (July 13th, 2004) — As Matt Kenseth enters the final off-weekend in the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, he has decided to do what he does every other weekend-race to win. The driver of the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford will head north to Oxford, Maine to compete in the Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, July 18th.

The race has a historic significance in New England. Winning the event often meant you were well on your way as a professional race car driver. Newburgh, Maine, native Ricky Craven won the event in 1991 and ranks it among his most memorable victories. Kenseth found out about the event through word of mouth.

“I’m looking forward to running at Oxford Plains,” said Kenseth. “I heard a lot of great things about the race from some of my fellow NASCAR competitors who have competed in it. I know the competition will be stiff, but my plan is to go there to win,” he added. He won’t be the only NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver in attendance, or even the only Roush driver on the entry list. Teammate Kurt Busch has thrown his hat in the ring and plans on winning as well.

The two Roush teammates plan to fly to Maine this weekend, and then return to their regular season schedule afterward-which is fast approaching the cutoff point for the 10-race Chase for the Championship format. Both drivers are currently ranked safely in the top-10, with Kenseth fifth and Kurt ninth.

Qualifying heats for the Banknorth 250 begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and the main event kicks off at 6 p.m. There is a guaranteed winner’s purse of $25,000—which could go much higher when the lap leader bonus money is added.

Though the two Roush Racing drivers plan to travel together to compete in this famous race, Kenseth had some advice for Kurt on getting home. “If he beats me, he may just have to head to the Greyhound Bus counter for the return trip.”

DAYTONA BEACH, FL. (July 11, 2004) — After four of the past five finishes only netted the team 20th or worse finishes, the No. 17 DEWALT Tools team was looking for some serious redemption as the second half of the season kicked off. Though the team didn’t bring home the customary top-10’s that it’s used to, Matt Kenseth wheeled the car to a respectable 12th place finish on a day in which most of the competitors would have been happy to switch places.

Rolling off the starting grid from the 26th position, the teams had just settled into their first run of the day when the caution flag waved for an incident in turn one involving Ryan Newman and Roush teammate Kurt Busch. The No. 12 car threw a rear tread, then slid up the track, collecting the No. 97 car. The team executed a two-tire stop, which jumped them to 8th place on the lap 23 restart — which didn’t go smoothly. As would be the case all day long, restarts were a treacherous occurrence. After the No. 42 car checked up, cars behind them just coming up to speed piled into one another. Matt Kenseth took a big shot from behind from teammate Greg Biffle, but luckily nothing broke on the car and Kenseth was able to drive on.

After complaining that the car was tight in the turns, the No. 17 DEWALT Tools team settled into another short run as on lap 39, the caution waved again for debris. The team took the opportunity to change all four tires and get back in sequence with the competition.

After restarting in 20th place on lap 42, Kenseth began to march on cue to the front of the field. He moved into the 13th spot before the pit sequences swung around on lap 83. Crew chief Robbie Reiser once again wisely kept Kenseth out on the track long enough to lead a lap — the 100th circuit, before pitting for tires and gas on lap 101.

Kenseth returned to action in 12th by lap 113 when the pit cycle had ended. Six more laps and another caution flag waved for a blown engine on the No. 32 car. Kenseth came down pit road and the pit stop went awry. By the time the crew got Kenseth out of the box, he fell to 20th, the last car on the lead lap. However, it would turn out to be a most supreme blessing in disguise, as yet the most treacherous of restarts was awaiting just a lap away.

On the lap 126 restart, with Kenseth tucked safely in the back of the field, eventual winner Tony Stewart booted the No. 9 car of Kasey Kahne into the turn one wall. The accident collected over 10 cars before everyone came to a stop, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Matt instantly keyed his microphone to speak with the team: “Guys, if there was ever a time to have a bad pit stop, that was it — I would have been right in the middle of that.”

Once the long caution ended for cleanup on lap 133, the cars were turned loose under green. And almost immediately, the handling on the car went south. Way south. Kenseth reported that the car wouldn’t turn in the middle and was loose off the corners. “It’s doing five different things in the corner,” he said in frustration. But the team battled back and Kenseth dug in. By lap 168, Kenseth had made it back to 15th place.

After another caution, during which the team took advantage of the time on pit road to make wholesale changes, Kenseth restarted the event in 17th place on lap 177. The change was remarkable. Five laps later, Kenseth was passing cars left and right. “Whatever that was, we just fixed it,” he radioed. But the trouble wasn’t over yet for the crew.

On a lap 210-pit stop following another caution, the team elected to change four tires. Unfortunately, the valve stem was knocked off the car on the way out of the pit box and the left rear went flat-causing Kenseth to return to pit road for a new set of left side tires one lap later.

Once again, Kenseth restarted in 20th on lap 214 of the 267-lap event. Though complaining he was tight, Kenseth continued to pass cars on the track — including a spirited battle with the No. 24 car of Jeff Gordon. With just over 30 laps to go, another caution flag waved for debris. The team changed another four tires, but many of the other competitors only took right side tires. The stop was the fastest of the day — 13.32 seconds.

On lap 249, Kenseth restarted in 17th place. The tires did their job and two laps later, Kenseth was running 14th. There was one final caution flag on lap 257, but every team stayed out and the teams were turned loose with just 11 laps to go in the event. Kenseth dug in and passed two cars in the final five laps to bring home a 12th place finish.

Though it respectable, Kenseth was still a little less than thrilled with the result. “We struggled today. We struggled on the track and the pits, but it was a good team effort all day and nobody gave up and that’s the most important part.”

Following the top-15 finish, the No. 17 DEWALT Tools team is still fifth in the points, 399 behind first place Jimmie Johnson. Next week, the series has its final weekend off of the year, but Matt Kenseth has elected to race anyway. Next Sunday, he’ll compete in the Oxford Plains 250 late model event in Oxford, Maine.

CONCORD, NC (July 5, 2004) — With the fireworks fading following America’s 228th birthday, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series finds itself at its halfway point for the 2004 season. It’s the 18th race of a grueling 36-race schedule, and it’s set in the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois. It also happens to be the busiest week of the year for one Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford.

Beginning on Wednesday morning and lasting through the week, Matt will make four official sponsor appearances, have one full sponsor production day, visit five separate hospitality sessions during the race weekend, compete in a late model race back home at Slinger Superspeedway in Wisconsin, and participate in a two-day test session at the Milwaukee Mile. Oh, and he races in both the Busch Grand National and the Nextel Cup Series this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Want a piece of his time? Then you’d better be at the right place at the right time.

Kicking off the marathon week, Matt will visit the headquarters of Gatorade as part of “Matt’s Pit Stop at the Plaza.” He’ll complete a question and answer session for employees moderated by the Motor Racing Network’s Joe Moore, dine with the advertising team, and sign autographs for employees in the lobby. Afterwards, he heads to the Comcast Spotlight Studio to complete half of a production day reading taglines for various cable television ad customers while wearing his DEWALT firesuit.

On Thursday, Matt heads back to the Comcast Spotlight Studio to complete the second half of the production day. He then heads back south of town to a Kraft appearance at a Jewel-Osco grocery store in Plainfield. Right on the heels of that appearance is a Comcast appearance just up the road in Bolingbrook at the Meijer grocery store.

On Friday, after a full day on the track in which he’ll qualify for both weekend racing events at Chicago, Matt will head to the Joliet, Ill., Home Depot for a DEWALT appearance. Early the next morning, Matt has a Bayer hospitality session before practicing his Cup car. Then he will start in the Busch race. Luckily, Matt has Saturday night off.

On Tropicana 400 raceday morning, Matt will attend four different hospitality sessions before making it to the driver’s meeting.

On Monday and Tuesday, the No. 17 DEWALT team will have a test session at the Milwaukee Mile. Monday night, Matt will be in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C., to attend the Smirnoff Ice National Sales meeting. Tuesday takes him back to Wisconsin for the Miller Light Super Nationals Late Model race at Slinger Superspeedway. Wednesday will be a day off for much needed rest, but it won’t last long.

Even though the weekend following Chicago is a non-Cup racing weekend, Matt Kenseth heads north to Maine to race in the Oxford 250 late model race.

Chicago area appearance information
It’s best to call each venue before you visit to check times and locations. The number of autographs may be limited at each location. Be sure to ask about wrist bands or ticket that guarantee you an autograph. 

Thursday, July 8

Jewel-Osco, 2480 Rt. 59, Plainfield IL 60544
(815) 254-3291
Autograph appearance from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Meijer, 225 N Weber Road, Bolingbrook IL 60490
(630) 679-6509
Autograph appearance from 4:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Friday, July 9

Home Depot, 3001 Plainfield Rd, Joliet IL 60435 (815) 577-9854
Autograph appearance in the evening. 

Tropicana 400 • Sunday, July 11; 1:00 p.m. CDT
Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Illinois

Matt Kenseth performance summary at Chicagoland:

“Chicago is still such a relatively new speedway for us that we don’t have a whole lot of notes to go on, but we have a pretty good race car that we’re taking this weekend. It’s a pretty fun track to drive, but you really need to have a good setup that works for you right off the bat. A lot of times this place is famous for some pretty long green-flag runs and not a lot of cautions.”

DAYTONA BEACH, FL. (July 3rd, 2004) - Perhaps it was the weather. Perhaps it was an off-key qualifying effort. For whatever reason, the signs were there. The Pepsi 400, which began after a two-hour rain delay, didn’t last long enough for the No. 17 Smirnoff Ice team to get excited about the possibilities of what might have been. For the record, Matt Kenseth finished in the 39th position when it was all said and done.

After a typical summer thunderstorm blew through the 2.5-mile superspeedway in the late afternoon, the teams competing in the Pepsi 400 began the event almost two full hours after the advertised start time on the Fox Network broadcast. When the cars finally did get rolling, just shy of 10:00 p.m. EDT, Kenseth rolled off the starting grid from the 37th position.

After three pace laps, NASCAR threw the green and yellow flags for the first 10 laps, in which the pace car was still present in front of the field and the cars reached top speeds of 70 miles per hour. Finally, on lap 11, NASCAR officials deemed the track dry enough to race upon, and they turned the teams loose on the high banks.

Almost immediately, Matt Kenseth began to make up ground in the No. 17 Smirnoff Ice Ford. As has been the case in other restrictor plate races, the qualifying effort wasn’t the best the team hoped for, but the car sure did handle in the draft. Within three laps of the true green flag, Kenseth had moved up to 25th position and was well in the hunt for finding the front of the field.

Unfortunately, it was just four laps later that unexpected disaster caught up with the team. Driving directly in front of Kenseth was the No. 0 car of Ward Burton, sponsored by Netzero. As Burton developed some sort of mechanical failure, he fell off the pace quite unexpectedly. He then began to spin directly in front of Kenseth. Matt backed the No. 17 Smirnoff Ice Ford down and tried to avoid getting involved, but just as he tried to dart past, he was clipped in the right rear quarter panel and was sent sliding up into the turn two wall.

Immediately, the team began a full sprint to the pit area, where the pit crew began the task of returning the car to competition as quickly as possible. Crew members cut the entire nose section and front clip off of the car and replaced the entire radiator system before returning to the track on lap 70 of the event.

The No. 17 Smirnoff Ice Ford stayed out of the way for the remainder of the event, but did pick up a handful of positions as some other cars retired. By returning to the event, the team was able to gain four positions on the night. Although the finish was not what the team had hoped for, they continued to show their unyielding spirit.

As expected, the team took a big hit in the point standings, falling two places to fifth, 356 points behind first place Jimmie Johnson. Next week, the series heads to Chicagoland Speedway, another of the 1.5-mile speedways on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule.