Team: No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @MattKenseth
Bojangles Southern 500 – Sunday, September 2 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN
ADVANCE NOTES
Kenseth at Darlington Raceway
- Kenseth will make his 25th MENCS start at Darlington this weekend. In 24 previous races, Kenseth has one win (2013), three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.
- Making its inaugural debut at-track, Oscar Mayer is the proud, official primary sponsor of Matt Kenseth’s No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Fusion this Sunday.
- Kenseth won the 2013 race after leading the final 13 laps at the 1.366-mile track. At the time it marked the third of his seven wins that season where he went on to finish second in the Cup standings.
- The 2003 Cup Champion also recorded top-five finishes in 2006 (third) and 2014 (fourth). He’s finished sixth or better in five of the last six races, and has an average finish of 15.4 at ‘The Track Too Tough to Tame.’
- Kenseth has one pole at Darlington (2009) with an average starting spot of 19.9. Overall he’s started top-10 on six occasions.
- Kenseth also made 18 starts in Xfinity action from 1997-2014, winning three races (1999, 2005, 2009). He recorded 11 top-five and 14 top-10 results in those starts with an average finish of 8.7.
Matt Puccia at Darlington Raceway
Matt Puccia will call his seventh MENCS race at Darlington on Sunday. In six previous starts, Puccia has one top-five, which came with Greg Biffle back in 2014.
Puccia led Biffle to a pole in his first ever Cup race at Darlington as a crew chief, back in 2012 when the duo went on to finish 12th.
Puccia also has one Xfinity race under his belt at the 1.366-mile oval, where he finished 10th with Paul Menard back in 2010.
QUOTE WORTHY
Kenseth on racing at Darlington:
“The Southern 500 is always one of the most challenging races of the year. Darlington is one of the most unique and difficult tracks on the circuit. Five hundred miles on a one-groove track, next to the wall in the 90-degree heat is a recipe for constant action. It’s always been one of my favorite events, both watching it growing up and as a competitor. I’m looking forward to flying the Oscar Mayer colors in what’s become a very popular Darlington throwback weekend.”
Recapping Bristol
In the last MENCS race two weeks ago, Trevor Bayne drove his Ford Fusion to his best finish of the season, 11th, under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bayne rolled off the grid 23rd, but quickly found himself battling inside the top-10 before carding his season-best result in the 500-lap event.
On the Car
For the first time this weekend, Oscar Mayer will be the official primary sponsor of Kenseth’s No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Fusion. Matt Kenseth will carry the familiar yellow and orange colors of Oscar Mayer in NASCAR’s Throwback weekend at Darlington, a sponsor that is very familiar with Roush Fenway and Kenseth alike. Oscar Mayer served as an associate partner in the early 2000s, and was featured on both Kenseth’s No. 17 and Kurt Busch’s No. 97 when NASCAR Hall of Fame owner Jack Roush led his stable to back-to-back Cup Championships in 2003 and 2004.
About The Kraft Heinz Company
The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) is the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world. A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions, whether at home, in restaurants or on the go. The Company’s iconic brands include Kraft, Heinz, ABC, Capri Sun, Classico, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Plasmon, Quero, Smart Ones and Velveeta. The Kraft Heinz Company is dedicated to the sustainable health of our people, our planet and our Company. For more information, visit www.kraftheinzcompany.com.
