Matt Kenseth lives up to early season expectations, relieving some pressure
Going into a new season, there’s always pressure there to get off to a good start. However, when you’re with a new team, the pressure is even twice as much. Matt Kenseth admits feeling that pressure when he made the move over to Joe Gibbs Racing. He wanted to be able to show Coach Joe Gibbs that he could live up to the expectations that he would win races and championships. After all, the team he is working with won two championships with Tony Stewart.
“Before this year I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever been nervous at all inside of a race car, and every week it gets a little bit better,” he said. “But you’re always a little bit nervous and you want to meet their expectations or exceed them, and you want to go do your job to the best of your ability.”
There was also the added pressure once he got to know the guys, especially crew chief Jason Ratcliffe, as he saw the potential.
“I felt like coming over here and getting to know Jason (Ratcliffe), and really everybody in the shop and the organization and everything, you know, just it’s a great feeling about the season,” he said. “We’re only three weeks in, but man, all three races we had a car, if everything would have went right, that we could have won, and it feels pretty awesome to have this win here.”
At Daytona International Speedway to open the season, he would finish 37th after blowing a motor while running in the top two. He would come back at Phoenix International Raceway a week later and finish seventh. With the win in the third race, Kenseth currently sits seventh in points.
Leading to those final laps at Las Vegas, though, you could sense the nerves and pressure with Kenseth in how he was yelling at spotter Chris Lambert to get the lap cars out of the way.
“He is so good,” Kenseth said of his new spotter. “He helped us win that race. He gave me the information that we needed, and it was really important. He understood what was important to me, but it was very important not to let Kasey get on the side of me. If he did, I was done, and he did a really good job of telling me where he was running.
Kenseth added that he was yelling like that because there was only 20 feet in the corner that he could run and still be fast as his car was getting tight being on the old tires.
While this moment does bring some relief for Kenseth, this is just the beginning of a long schedule with 33 more races, and the pressure doesn’t end. Now it’s all about continuing the momentum and possibly taking home the championship at the end of the year.
“You want to go to the next one and start thinking — we go on a plane to go home tonight, start thinking about Bristol and what we’re going to try to do there,” Kenseth commented. “That’s the great thing about the sport, it never stops, you only get to enjoy it for a couple days.”
In working at that, Kenseth says that he is “the lucky guy sitting in the seat” as he believes the people at Joe Gibbs Racing, including Ratcliffe, are set to build him cars that can win races all year.
“It is about the organization, it’s about the stuff that they give you, the engines TRD builds, the job Jason does not only with making the cars fast and adjustments, calling the races but also with his leadership, and getting the guys organized and cars prepared to win races,” Kenseth said. “I’m just the lucky guy sitting in the seat. Of course I’m going to give it everything I’ve got every race no matter where I’m running, but if he wouldn’t have put it out front and made all the adjustments and done that, I wouldn’t have been in position to win the race.”
His theory is backed up as he and his teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin have ran well this year. The only problems they have ran into have been engine related, which TRD believes they’ve sorted out as a valve spring issue.
At the height of those issues and being one of the drivers to have a blown motor in Daytona, you’d think it’d play on the mind most of the new driver in the organization. However, Kenseth says he was probably feeling the best of anybody in the organization leaving Daytona with looking at how they performed.
“When you’re trying hard, you’re always trying to make the most power to make your car handle the best you can and do all that kind of stuff, every once in a while you’re going to have something happen,” he said. “And I didn’t mess it up. We were leading, and I would have been more disappointed leading Daytona if I were leading the last lap and finished eighth.”
The win for Kenseth on his 41st birthday topped off a solid week after he got to spend time with wife Katie and his two girls throughout the week leading up to the race.
“I got to Phoenix on Thursday or whatever, and then Katie and my two girls and her mom and dad came to Phoenix on Saturday and loaded up our Sequoia, and I felt like Clark Griswold,” he said. “And we drove up through Sedona and up through the Grand Canyon. There was a zoo down there by Flagstaff. We did all that for a few days and got here Wednesday. We’ve been gone for a fair amount of time, and we’re all ready to get home.”
From the Grand Canyon to the thunder bowl, Kenseth now gets set to tackle Bristol Motor Speedway.
PrimeSportsMotorsports: Las Vegas Recap
Ed Coombs, Mary Jo Buchanon and Brad Keppel of SpeedwayMedia.com will join Greg to recap the weekend in NASCAR.
PrimeSportsMotorsports: Las Vegas Preview
Matt Laflair of SpeedwayMedia.com will join Greg for the Las Vegas preview show!
Three Races In, Some Things are Fuzzy, but Some Things Are Clear
Watching yesterday’s Kobalt 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it appeared from the beginning that this was a race that was supposed to be won by Hendrick Motorsports. The lineup of Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is formidable. What more could you ask? It’s a power team if there was one, and yet, it all fell apart all because of other teams that have learned to be as tough as they are. It happened last year and it seems to be happening again.
Consider the case of Kasey Kahne or maybe even Jimmie Johnson. They dominated the event. In former years, it would have been over from the beginning, but a little bit of Joe Gibbs Racing and even Penske Racing played their cards right and the Gibbs bunch pulled off the win. It didn’t hurt that Matt Kenseth is the most underrated driver of this decade. Who can wheel a car better than Kenseth? While at Roush Fenway, he won a championship that someone in the sanctioning body thought was tainted and the horrible Chase was created, and yet he continued to be a steady winner. Two Daytona 500 wins and a championship has never given Kenseth any respect. It boggles my mind that a man who has done so much is ignored by everyone in this sport. Yes, talk about Junior or Tony or Jimmie or even Harvick ( not to mention Danica), but what about Kenseth?
You can also ask the question about our reigning champion, Brad Keselowski. While changing manufacturers, from Dodge to Ford, he has maintained a sterling fourth, fourth, and third place in finishes, second only to Johnson, but still only the only driver with three top five finishes in three races. Truth is, if you don’t drive for Hendrick Motorsports , you have to be overlooked. That organization is just too big and powerful, plus they have the power drivers – Johnson, Gordon, Earnhardt, and Kahne. They run up front and have the history behind them, but a lot of good things are happening elsewhere. Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and even controversial Denny Hamlin are a formidable team at Gibbs. No one can doubt that Edwards, Biffle, and even Stenhouse , a ten race winner, a guy who can wheel a car, and a two time champion are not junk. The reigning champ and the young prodigy at Penske (Keselowski and Logano) are not junk. Not to mention that Richard Childress Racing has the power to move its three drivers into the spotlight. And yet popularity seems to be the reason. Everyone loves a winner.
All of that said, we’ve seen three different races. The restrictor plate race that Johnson won—a crapshoot, the Phoenix race that Edwards won, and Las Vegas and the Kenseth race. Three races and three manufacturers have won. It sounds like parity to me, and yet all the talk is about four drivers who haven’t done much with one exception. It’s the way it goes.
We head to Bristol this weekend, if it doesn’t rain ( the forecast is iffy), and we’ll see what the en 6 car does there. One thing is clear. It appears that things are pretty much equal. Just
Love of Car Inspired Newest NASCAR Novel ‘Race From the Finish’
While there has been a great deal of talk about the Gen 6 race car, with NASCAR banking on fans falling in love with the newly branded stock cars, an historical love affair with a car, in this case a 1956 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe, inspired a new NASCAR book entitled ‘Race from the Finish’.
The book, written by D.T. Dignan, is about a 1950s fictional racer John Powers who had one dream, to break into the big time in the burgeoning sport of NASCAR. In the novel, Powers cuts his racing teeth on the many new dirt tracks around his hometown of Pittsburgh, moving into the Midwest Associate of Race Cars new circuit, the precursor of today’s ARCA racing series, and ultimately into NASCAR
Dignan acknowledged that the new Gen 6 NASCAR race car really is a throwback to racing of old, particularly during the time when her book is set. And, just like in the book, the point of racing cars on the track was to sell them in the show room the following week.
“I think the new car is more true to stock car racing in the days of the book,” Dignan said. “I think that’s interesting to see.”
“Back then, much of it was a marketing thing as the car companies realized that it would sell more cars after every race.”
For Dignan, her inspiration for her book was all about the car. In fact, the car on which the story was based, a 1965 Chevy Bel Air, had personal, as well as professional, meaning to her.
“My dad had a 1956 Chevy Bel Air and he courted my mother in that car,” Dignan said. “I always thought it would be so fun to own one.”
“About ten years ago, I came across this car and bought it,” Dignan continued. “I did it because I wanted to drive it and show my dad and take him for rides in it, which he’s been able to do.”
“We participated in different car shows and I notice so many people drawn to her and you can tell they are just remembering,” Dignan said. “That’s why I wanted the 1956 car to be in the climax of the story.”
So, how did the car, which held so many memories, become inspiration enough for an entire novel about racing from back in the day and back in time?
“At that time the 1956 Bel Air had quite a powerful engine and so came onto the racing circuit,” Dignan said. “So, I imagined what it would be like to have that car race and the type of person that might strive for that and want to race that car.”
“Suddenly, I had an idea for a story and that’s how the main character was born,” Dignan continued. “I had a lot of fun doing quite a bit of research on historic racing and the different tracks around the area, especially in the Pittsburgh area where the story is set.”
“There were a lot of new tracks coming up because it was becoming quite popular to see folks get into racing,” Dignan said. “The book basically deals with historic racing.”
“It’s more character driven but there’s quite a bit of history in it concerning NASCAR, especially in the 1950s.”
Dignan had to do all kinds of research, both in libraries and on-line, in order to bring her book and characters to life. She also did some research right in her home state of Michigan, including seeing some of the old race cars from the past.
“I found books about racing and I also did research on line and also found some of the old racers and their videos back in the day,” Dignan said. “That was fascinating to watch those cars go around the dirt tracks, with the racing and the accidents they had.”
“I had to do that to explain what would happen to the driver during the race and to explain the movement of the cars in written form,” Dignan continued. “I wanted to have the reader picture the race in their mind and I had to watch video of actual footage to see what it was like.”
“Basically, I did every type of research you could find,” Dignan said. “We have some historical racing information here in Michigan.”
“In fact, we have an actual Hudson Hornet here so I went to check that out,” Dignan continued. “Buck Baker’s car is in Greenfield Village so there are a lot of different resources to tap into.”
Dignan’s research would not have been complete, however, without a visit to a modern-day race track. So, off she went to Michigan International Speedway to experience the thrill of NASCAR racing up close and personal.
“I actually experienced my first NASCAR race here in Michigan studying for the book,” Dignan said. “It was incredible.”
“There was one interesting moment when we went under the grandstand and you could get up next to the fence next to the track,” Dignan continued. “You’re basically eye level with the wheels.”
“That was pretty intense as you watched them zip by with all that power and speed,” Dignan said. “So, I developed a knowledge and appreciation for racing because of the research for the book.”
So, is her fictional driver John Powers patterned after any of the drivers, past or present, which she encountered during her research?
“I’m sure that there is a little bit of several different drivers in him just from watching the footage and being at the track,” Dignan said. “But he’s more my own creation.”
“Actually the character develops over time as driving is his sole passion, to the point where it becomes at the expense of other things and people,” Dignan continued. “The climax of the story is that you see that in a race at Abbottstown, Pennsylvania, which was an actual race.”
“It was the only NASCAR race on that track in 1956 and Buck Baker won the race,” Dignan said. “That’s kind of interesting because I wanted to have the ’56 Chevy be the car he was driving at the climax of the story, so I had to work the whole timing of the story around that.”
“And it just so happened that the race took place three hours from Pittsburgh where he hails from,” Dignan continued. “That was the only NASCAR race at that track that ever happened in that year.”
Dignan, a most passionate author, is convinced that NASCAR fans today would really enjoy her story about NASCAR racing in the past. In fact, she thinks it would give fans a whole new perspective on the history of the sport.
“I think they would enjoy it because it would give them a little bit different perspective about racing from an historical standpoint, when it was newer and very different,” Dignan said. “I think for them to realize what these guys did and went through to pursue their racing dreams would give them a whole new appreciation.”
“They didn’t have driving schools back then,” Dignan continued. “They didn’t have big sponsors back then.”
“Basically the guys had to teach themselves,” Dignan said. “They had to have support and a lot of guts.”
“They had to work hard to get money to support their racing careers,” Dignan continued. “I think fans would find that interesting.”
Race fans interested in reading ‘Race From the Finish’ can order it from Barnes and Noble or Amazon, however, it can also be ordered from her website www.racefromthefinish.com. An added bonus is if fans order the book from her website, Dignan will personally sign it.
The Final Word – Some good, some bad, some ugly as we look ahead to Bristol
Bristol, Tennessee is where the lads (and lassie) are venturing for this weekend’s Cup action. Matt Kenseth arrives from Las Vegas with his birthday wrench and his 25th career victory. He has a pair at Bristol and most often leaves the place with a Top Ten finish. Over the past four years, half of the eight run there has been taken by Kyle Busch, with Brad Keselowski holding a pair, Jimmie Johnson with one, and Denny Hamlin claimed the race last August. As to what Denny thinks about this new Gen 6 car, he really loves turtles.
There was more passing at Las Vegas, we are told. Lots more. Twenty-two lead changes, the most in six years there, and 2300 passes compared to 1300 a year ago, we are told. So, there were more than 8.7 passes made per lap? I wonder, if car A is trailing car B at one scoring loop, B puts its nose ahead by the next scoring loop, only to stall out and trail as they pass over the next, does that constitute two passes but with nothing really changing? Just wondering.
The wallet is low on cash to afford some things. You can learn to do without, to prioritize what you need to afford and what you don’t need. You can add cash to your wallet by picking someone else’s wallet, and just keep spending. While the U.S. government decides which way to go, things are just being cut, so likely no more fly overs before NASCAR races, no more tours of the White House for kids. Yet, golf vacations are still a go for some. Life is good when you are on top of the heap.
Just one extra entry seeking a place to race at Bristol. Scott Riggs is the man who needs to time in among the top 36 in qualifying or he will be parked come Sunday. That probably won’t be enough to set record ratings for the time trials.
The time has come where 2013 points could decide who makes a race and who does not. The lowest on the totem pole among those we might miss would be Danica Patrick (31st) and Ryan Newman (32nd). Neither will be in danger this week, or in the foreseeable future.
The television announcers can go a long way in making a race. FOX has the all-star team, which helps explain why it again provided the high ranked televised sports event over the weekend. Is Mike Joy the best lap-by-lap man in the nation? Probably not, but no one has yet found the guy who is and put him on television.
Is there a better duo to provide color than Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds? They are solid, but I like the additional banter Wally Dallenbach Jr and Kyle Petty provide that keeps me watching. Those two are pure entertainment. Nobody touches Jeff Hammond as the roving reporter/tech guy, while Matt Yocum, Krista Voda, and Steve Byrnes are on top of the pit action.
I miss the recently retired Dick Berggren, but ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch and Jamie Little, along with SPEED’s Wendy Venturini and TNT’s Marty Snider can get the job done. On the desk, you have Chris Myers and Michael Waltrip, and that is it. The ESPN crew might be nice people, and I think Alan Bestwick a natural on that desk, but I simply can’t listen to Rusty or Brad, and I miss nothing when I don’t. I expect solid coverage into June, slipping to tolerable to July, to be followed by four months of God awful. What do you think?
Finally, Brad Keselowski was asked how he would feel if a gay person worked on his team. The champion responded that “if you can win, people will want to be part of what you can do.” That has got him some attention from the Topeka, Kansas Westboro Baptist Church. Along with some uncomplimentary tweets, they plan to picket an upcoming race, possibly in Kansas next month. There are some things that disgust me, such as folks riding a float playing with their nipples, regardless as to their gender or sexual orientation. Same goes for public displays of french kissing. People who cheat on their spouses. People who fail to raise their kids right. Punks of all ages who substitute reasoned debate with vulgar demonstrations of their own immaturity. One does not have to agree with those who differ from themselves, in fact they should be able to voice their opposition. However, I believe the amount of respect one should expect is equal to the amount of respect one gives to others. Enjoy the week.
