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Early multi-car crash collects
Kenseth;
Trex Ford finishes 31st
March 20, 2005
HAMPTON, GA (March 20, 2005) –
The No. 17 Trex Ford Taurus did not make a full lap
around the Atlanta Motor Speedway before falling victim
to a multi-car crash going down the backstretch. As a
result of the accident, the No. 17 sustained extensive
sheet metal damage, as well as damage to the tow of the
car. The DEWALT crew went to work on the black and gray
Trex machine, and repaired the damage enough to keep
Kenseth out on the track, albeit thirteen laps down.
From that point forward, Kenseth logged laps to earn
points in the Nextel Cup standings, and ended up with a
31st place finish. Having run in the middle of the pack
during the two practice sessions on Friday, Kenseth
qualified in the 23rd position Friday night under the
lights at Atlanta. Unfortunately, that position would
prove to be dangerous as Kenseth was caught up in the
crash on lap 1 of the Golden Corral 500 that collected
approximately nine cars. Such was the mess on the
backstretch of the 2.5-mile quad-oval that the field was
halted for about ten minutes to clean the track. Kenseth
radioed to his crew, “I saw a puff of smoke so I got out
of the gas. Then I got hit from behind.” When the green
flag flew on lap 6, Kenseth remained on pit road as the
crew continued to work on the damage to the No. 17.
Kenseth rejoined the field on lap 8 in the 39th
position. Experiencing some tire smoke in turns 3 and 4,
Kenseth returned to his pit on lap 11 for more repairs.
When Kenseth rejoined the field on lap 18, the No. 17
Trex Ford Taurus was in good form, posting quicker lap
times than the leader. The field began a cycle of green
flag pit stops around lap 56. Because Kenseth had been
in the pit for several laps after the leaders, he was
able to stay out until lap 71. During his green flag
stop, the DEWALT crew changed four tires, filled the No.
17 with fuel and made a wedge adjustment in an
impressive 12.86 seconds. When the second caution of the
day slowed the field on lap 84 for debris, there were
only fifteen cars on the lead lap, with Kenseth running
in the 38th position, thirteen laps down. It was a long
afternoon for Kenseth and the No. 17 team, as they
stayed out on the track earning valuable points in the
Nextel Cup standings, but unable to showcase how well
the car was running, being so far behind the lead
pack. Caution slowed the field a total of eight times
and the No. 17 team continued to service and work on the
damage to the Trex Ford throughout the day. Kenseth
managed to pick up several positions by staying out on
the track, and ended up with the 31st place
finish. “It’s frustrating,” said Kenseth, after the
race. “We came here with a good car today, a car capable
of running up front. Sometimes you get caught up in
things outside of your control, like the wreck today. I
hate it for the team and for the Trex people that were
here today. I know we have the equipment to get it done
at Roush. We just have to get some runs together and
start getting some good finishes.” The DEWALT Tools
Ford Taurus has the weekend off and will resume activity
at Bristol Motor Speedway, April 1–3.
Kenseth earns first Top-Five of
the season at Atlanta
March 19, 2005
HAMPTON, GA
(March 19, 2005) — In his second Busch race of the 2005
season in the No. 17 Waste Management Ford Taurus, Matt
Kenseth spent most of the day up front with a consistent
run which resulted in a 4th place finish. Roush Racing
teammate Carl Edwards came away with the victory in the
Aaron’s 312. To start off the weekend, the Waste
Management team opted to run only a couple of laps in
the first practice session on Friday; it was a strategic
move to conserve tires for raceday. The Busch teams are
limited in the number of sets of tires they may utilize
in each race, and Kenseth hoped to have one up on the
field by saving his tires in the practice sessions. The
No. 17 posted the second quickest lap in the first
practice session and the Waste Management Ford qualified
in the 10th position. The green flag flew just after
3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and Kenseth rounded out the top
ten starters. After an early caution slowed the field on
lap 2, Kenseth began his charge to the front and when
the second caution flag flew on lap 17, the No. 17 had
moved up to the 6th position. The No. 17 elected not to
pit on this caution, it coming so early in the race.
When caution again slowed the field on lap 28, Kenseth
brought the No. 17 in for service and received wedge and
tire pressure adjustments after Kenseth radioed to his
crew that the No. 17 would not turn getting into the
corners. After a lengthy pit stop, the No. 17 returned
to the field in the 19th position. Kenseth wasted no
time moving up through the field, breaking into the top
ten within four laps. The fourth caution of the day flew
on lap 66, and the Waste Management team executed a nice
stop, giving the No. 17 four fresh Goodyear tires, a
full tank of fuel and a wedge adjustment, taking two
turns out of the left rear. Kenseth gained three
positions on pit road and restarted the race in the 6th
position. The Waste Management crew continued to make
adjustments to the car throughout the race, and Kenseth
broke into the top-five on lap 125. When caution again
flew on lap 139, the sixth of the day, the No. 17 team
had a miscue on pit road. The jack was dropped early,
and there was question as to whether all five lugnuts
were tight on the left front. After conferring with the
tire changer, the team felt confident that four of the
lugnuts were securely tightened and the fifth was up
against the wheel. Content with four being tight, the
No. 17 stayed out and had no trouble as a result of the
miscue. There were a total of eight cautions for the
day, and when the field restarted on lap 188 after the
last caution, Kenseth took off from the 10th position.
In the final fifteen laps, Kenseth charged to the front
and took the checkered flag in the 4th position. “This
team is getting better with each race,” said Kenseth. “I
feel confident that we are heading in the right
direction, with a top-ten at Fontana and now a top-five
here in Atlanta. As the team continues to gel, I think
we will continue to have success and eventually put the
Waste Management Ford in Victory Lane.” The Waste
Management Ford Taurus will not be traveling to
Nashville next weekend. The No. 17 will resume activity
in Bristol, April 1–2.
Trex on board at Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 16, 2005
 CONCORD,
NC (March 16, 2005) — Matt Kenseth will be running a
special paint scheme this weekend at Atlanta Motor
Speedway with Trex Decking & Railing featured on the
black and gray Ford. This is the only race of the 2005
NASCAR Nextel Cup season in which the No. 17 will
feature the Trex colors.
Trex Decking and Railing joins DEWALT, Carhartt and USG
Sheetrock Brand to round out the construction
industry–based theme of the No. 17 this year. Trex
Decking and Railing is the #1 national brand in
composite decking and railing, providing the widest
range of design possibilities for your deck. In his
ten starts in the Cup series at Atlanta, Matt Kenseth,
the 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion, has posted two top-five
and five top-ten finishes. Kenseth won the Busch race in
Atlanta last fall. The No. 17 Ford posted its first
top-ten finish last weekend in Las Vegas after a couple
of disappointing finishes started off the 2005 season.
“Although I don’t have a great record at Atlanta, it is
a track that I enjoy and I’m looking forward to this
weekend. Our cars have been running great this year, but
we’ve had some things go wrong that have resulted in bad
finishes. The team is pumped up after finally breaking
that streak in Las Vegas,” stated Kenseth. For more
information about Trex Decking and Railing, visit their
website at www.trex.com, or call 1-800-BUY-TREX.
Atlanta Pre-Race Notes
March
16, 2005
#17 Trex Ford
Golden Corral 500 • Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton GA
2.5-mile quad-oval; 500 miles/325 laps
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Matt
Kenseth’s performance summary at Atlanta
|
Date |
S |
F |
Laps |
Reason |
|
03/12/00 |
4 |
40 |
199/325 |
Engine |
|
11/10/00 |
23 |
9 |
324/325 |
Running |
|
03/11/01 |
38 |
37 |
273/325 |
Engine |
|
11/18/01 |
23 |
17 |
325/325 |
Running |
|
03/10/02 |
32 |
4 |
325/325 |
Running |
|
10/27/02 |
9 |
9 |
248/248 |
Running |
|
03/09/03 |
24 |
4 |
325/325 |
Running |
|
10/28/03 |
37 |
11 |
325/325 |
Running |
|
03/14/04 |
30 |
6 |
325/325 |
Running |
|
10/31/04 |
39 |
41 |
175/325 |
Engine |
Matt Kenseth Totals at
Atlanta
| |
Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
| Cumulative |
10 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
Matt Kenseth on racing at
Atlanta:
“Although
I
don’t
have
a
great
record
at
Atlanta,
it
is a
track
that
I
enjoy
and
I’m
looking
forward
to
this
weekend.
The
team
is
pumped
up
after
we
finally
broke
our
streak
of
bad
finishes
by
posting
our
first
top-ten
finish
of
the
season
in
Las
Vegas.
I
won
the
Busch
race
here
last
fall,
so
I’m
also
looking
forward
to
running
the
Waste
Management
car
on
Saturday.”
Robbie
Reiser on racing at
Atlanta:
“Our
cars
have
been
running
well
this
year,
we’ve
just
had
one
thing
or
another
go
wrong
until
Las
Vegas.
We
hope
to
use
our
solid
finish
there
to
build
momentum
for
this
team
and
carry
that
to
Atlanta,
where
we’ve
had
inconsistent
finishes
in
the
past.”
Did you
know …
n
The
No.
17
Trex
Decking
&
Railing
Ford
Taurus
will
make
its
debut
this
weekend
in
Atlanta.
Usually
seen
in
the
yellow
and
black
DEWALT
colors,
Matt
Kenseth
will
be
driving
the
black
and
gray
entry
for
the
Cup
race
on
Sunday.
n
The
team
will
be
running
chassis
number
41,
which
is a
new
car.
n
In
his
ten
starts
at
Atlanta
in
the
Cup
series,
Matt
Kenseth
has
two
top-five
and
five
top-ten
finishes.
n
Matt
Kenseth
won
the
Busch
race
in
Atlanta
October
30,
2004.
n
Matt
Kenseth
will
be
pulling
double
duty
this
weekend
in
Atlanta,
running
the
No.
17
Waste
Management
Ford
in
the
Aaron’s
312
on
Saturday
in
the
Busch
Series.
Meet the
Trex
Team!
| NAME |
RACE DAY DUTY |
| Robbie Reiser |
Crew Chief |
| Jeff Vandermoss |
Car Chief |
| Justin Nottestad |
Front Tire Changer |
| Chris Brook |
Front Tire Carrier |
| Jeremy West |
Rear Tire Changer |
| Zak Yarnot |
Rear Tire Carrier |
| Russ Strupp |
Jack Man |
| Benjy Grubbs |
Gas Man |
| Dave McDonald |
Catch Can |
| Chip Bolen |
Chief Engineer |
| Brent Swim |
Truck Driver |
| Mike Calinoff |
Spotter |
| Todd Milliard |
Tire Specialist |
| Cindy Carter |
Scorer |
| Mike Chance |
Pit Support |
| Greg Ebert |
Pit Support |
| Eric Jackson |
Pit Support |
| Dean Rosenberry |
Electrical |
| Rodney Sexton |
Fuel Runner |
| Randy Slack |
Pit Support |
| Kevin Staehler |
Pit Support |
| Greg Stamper |
Pit Support |
| Ken Gober |
Pit Support |
Good odds in Las Vegas as Kenseth
scores first Top-Ten of the season
March 13, 2005LAS VEGAS, NV (March 13, 2005) — Matt Kenseth didn’t
hit the jackpot in Vegas with a three-peat in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler
400, but the odds were in favor of the No. 17 DEWALT
Ford returning to true form with the team’s first
top-ten finish this season. After a late caution on the
final lap of a race filled with yellow flags, Kenseth
brought the DEWALT Ford home in the 8th position.
Having run well in the first two races of the 2005
season, yet posting disappointing finishes due to engine
and tire problems, the No. 17 team was looking forward
to breaking out of that slump at the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, a track that has spelled good fortune for
Kenseth in recent years. The DEWALT Ford was good right
out of the transporter, as Kenseth logged the 6th
fastest lap in each of the first two practice sessions.
The team made adjustments to the car and were rewarded
with the fastest lap in final practice on Saturday. The
No. 17 Ford qualified in the 8th position.
Kenseth
remained in the top-ten after the green flag waved for
the field of 43 until an incident on lap 65, which began
when the No. 38 got loose and pulled up in front of
Kenseth. The No. 17 had nowhere to go but into the rear
bumper of the No. 38, who spun and collected several
others before the smoke cleared. Several cars sustained
minor sheet metal damage, including the DEWALT Ford.
Caution slowed the field; however, the No. 17 did not
elect to come in for service, having been in less than
five laps earlier during the first caution of the
afternoon.
Staying out on the track, Kenseth restarted
the race in the 7th position on lap 69. It was quickly
apparent that the No. 17 was suffering a tire rub as a
result of the incident with the No. 38, and the DEWALT
Ford had to pit under green on lap 76 to change tires.
While in for service, the crew corrected the minor sheet
metal damage from the same incident, and Kenseth
returned to the track in the 34th position, two laps
down.
In an afternoon filled with yellow flags, Kenseth
caught a break when caution flew on lap 100 for a spin
in turn four, and the No. 17 was able to get one lap
back. The DEWALT team executed an awesome pit stop,
completing service in 13.5 seconds, and returning
Kenseth to the track as the first car one lap down, in
the 29th position. When caution again flew on lap 124,
this time for debris, Kenseth was in position to get his
final lap back and, after service in the pits, restarted
on the lead lap on lap 129 in the 28th position. Kenseth
gradually moved up through the field, making his way
back into the top-ten by lap 198. Over the radio Kenseth
told his crew around lap 200 that the car was the best
it had been all day, noting, however, that the No. 17
took about 10-15 laps for the car to really come in.
Just as the DEWALT guys became rooted in the top-ten
once again, the yellow flag waved for the ninth time.
The team opted to come in for four fresh tires, while
some competitors only took two tires. As a result,
Kenseth restarted in the 13th position on lap 210.
Again, Kenseth moved up through the field, eventually
making his way into the 8th position. When caution flew
on the final lap for a late spin, the field was frozen
as the leader crossed the line, and the No. 17 DEWALT
Ford completed its first top-ten finish of the
season. “I’m relieved,” said Kenseth, after the race.
“We battled back from some adversity and bad luck today.
I’m really proud of the guys, who delivered some great
pit stops. Our team never gave up and we were able to
come back from two laps down for our best finish of the
season. We’ll take this finish and build on it going
into Atlanta next weekend.” The DeWALT Tools Ford Taurus
will head back to the East Coast to Atlanta next weekend
for action.
Las Vegas
Articles
n
Vegas lucky for Kenseth
n
Kenseth’s bid for Vegas hat trick rolls
on
n
Kenseth looks to end bad luck with Vegas 3-peat
n
Don't bet against Kenseth in Las Vegas
n
Kenseth Seeks Triple Play
n
Kenseth looks to Vegas to end slump
n
Kenseth
patiently optimistic about season
n
Kenseth hopes luck is a lady for him in Vegas
n
Kenseth critical of Gordon's driving
Las Vegas Pre-Race Notes
March
8, 2005DaimlerChrysler 400 • Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 13, 2005 • 12:00 pm (e) • Fox
|
Matt
Kenseth’s Las Vegas Performance Summary
|
|
Date |
S |
F |
Laps |
Reason |
|
3/7/04 |
25 |
1 |
267/267 |
Running |
|
3/2/03 |
17 |
1 |
267/267 |
Running |
|
3/3/02 |
8 |
14 |
267/267 |
Running |
|
3/4/01 |
22 |
17 |
266/267 |
Running |
|
3/6/00 |
21 |
14 |
148/148 |
Running |
Matt Kenseth Totals at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway
| |
Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles
|
|
Cumulative |
5 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
Matt Kenseth on racing at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway:
“I’m really looking forward to
heading to Las Vegas this weekend. We had a really
strong car in Fontana, and could have walked out of
there with a top-five finish if not for the tire problem
towards the end of the race. Being the defending race
winner in Vegas brings an added excitement to the
upcoming race for our team, and our goal is to repeat
the success that we found there last year.”
Crew Chief
Robbie Reiser on racing at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway:
“It’s always nice to go back to a track where
you’ve had success in the past. We’re bringing car
number 38 this weekend to Vegas, the same car we ran in
Fontana. We were pleased with the way the car ran in
California, and think that chassis 38 will perform well
in Vegas. If we can just stay out of trouble and have
some luck go our way, we should be able to come home
with a top-five finish.”
Race Notes:
n
Matt Kenseth
enters the weekend looking for his third consecutive win
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
n
The primary car is
Chassis RK-38, same car they raced at Fontana two weeks
ago.
n
Roush Racing entries have claimed victories in
five of the seven NEXTEL Cup Series races at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway, and three of the eight Busch Series
events.
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