Team: No. 6 NESN Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @MattKenseth
GoBowling at The Glen – Sunday, August 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN
ADVANCE NOTES
Kenseth at Watkins Glen International
· Matt Kenseth will make his 19th start at Watkins Glen International this weekend. In 18 previous starts, the 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion has two top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
· Kenseth is coming off his highest finish at the 2.45-mile road course a year ago, where he finished second after starting 15th. He also finished fourth in 2015, one of his four top-10s in his last six starts at the track.
· Kenseth’s best qualifying effort came back in 2007 where he started third. He also started fifth in 2004, and most recently fourth in 2016.
· Kenseth also made six starts in the Xfinity series recording three top-six finishes. He crossed the line third in 2008 and finished fifth in 2014, his most recent Xfinity start at the road course.
· Overall on road courses in the Cup Series, Kenseth has two top-five and nine top-10 finishes with an average finishing position of 17.7, including a 17.5 average at WGI.
Matt Puccia at Watkins Glen International
· Matt Puccia will call his eighth MENCS race at Watkins Glen on Sunday. In seven starts at the 2.45-mile road course, Puccia’s best finish is sixth with Greg Biffle back in 2012. He also recorded top-10 results in 2014 with Biffle, and most recently 2016 with Trevor Bayne in ninth.
· Puccia’s top qualifying effort is 15th which came back in 2012 with BIffle.
· Overall on road courses in the Cup Series, Puccia has six top-10s in 14 starts with an average finish of 17.8.
· Puccia also called two Xfinity races for Paul Menard, finshing 29th in 2009 and 17th in 2010.
QUOTE WORTHY
Kenseth on racing at Watkins Glen:
“I’m looking forward to Watkins Glen this weekend. It is a fast, fun road course that always proves to be exciting for the fans and competitors alike. We have had some great runs there in the past and some struggles as well. It’s a track where I feel you need to have it all – handling, mistake-free driving, good pit stops and great strategy. Unlike Sonoma there isn’t a lot of tire falloff here so it’s important to pit as soon as you feel like you can make it on fuel, hope for the cautions to fall at the right times and keep that track position.”
Recapping Pocono
Kenseth battled back from an early pit road penalty and survived a series of late race cautions to cross the line 18th at Pocono last weekend, his third-straight top-20 and fifth in seven starts.
On the Car
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