Kenseth Going Out A Winner Regardless Of Chase Finish

Kenseth Going Out A Winner Regardless Of Chase Finish

There’s no quit in Matt Kenseth. He’ll end his tenure with Roush Fenway Racing a winner regardless of his finish in this year’s Chase.
Kenseth book-ended this year’s menu of four restrictor plate races, backing up his second Daytona 500 victory by winning Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. His 2012 average plate track finish was 2.0.
Unfortunately for Kenseth, it may be a case of too little, too late. Kenseth remains 12th in Chase standings, 62 points behind leader Brad Keselowski.
The Talladega celebration figures to last longer than usual since Kenseth is the defending winner of Saturday’s Bank of America 500. Last year’s win, a 0.968-seconds squeaker over Kyle Busch, was Kenseth’s second at Charlotte. Kenseth’s Driver Rating of 95.1 ranks fourth among active drivers.
Last year’s race ended Ford’s 18-race Charlotte winless streak dating to Mark Martin’s 2002 Coca-Cola 600 victory. Kenseth is the only current member of the Roush Fenway Racing stable to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup points-paying race at Charlotte and will join Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013.

Busch, Logano Look To Spoil ‘Home’ Race

With just about every race team base near Charlotte Motor Speedway, this weekend’s night race – as well as the May event – becomes a de facto "home" race for each of the drivers, no matter where they’re from.
And, historically, Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contenders rank as the best bets to capture the Homecoming King’s crown during the Charlotte night race. Only once has a non-Chase driver won the Charlotte Chase race – Jamie McMurray in 2010.
In this year’s playoffs, Chasers have reigned supreme, going 4-for-4 to start the Chase. That could end this Saturday night, with two drivers outside the top 12 boasting prolific Charlotte resumes: Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Though neither young gun owns a Charlotte victory, both have excellent finishes.
Busch has 10 total wins at Charlotte – six in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and four in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He’s come painstakingly close to winning in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, posting nine top 10s in the last 10 races (including top threes in four of the last five). His Charlotte Driver Rating of 107.5 ranks second to Jimmie Johnson’s 111.0.
Logano’s 10.3 average finish at Charlotte ranks first among active drivers. His only finish outside the top 15 came in this season’s Coca-Cola 600, where he finished 23rd.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

    Chevrolet can mathematically clinch its 10th consecutive NSCS Manufacturers’ Championship (and 36th overall) on Saturday in Charlotte. If Chevrolet leads the manufacturer standings by 31 points leaving the race, it will clinch. Chevrolet currently holds a 27-point lead over Toyota. … Milestones Watch: Jeff Burton will start his 650th race; Mark Martin makes start No. 850; Scott Riggs will start his 200th race. ... Jamie McMurray, who won this race in 2010, will reach 100 top-10 finishes with his next top 10. … Matt Kenseth’s next NASCAR national series will be No. 50 of his career. … NNS points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make his fourth career start this weekend in the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. His best career finish of 11th came at Charlotte in the 2011 Coca-Cola 600. … Kurt Busch will make his first start with Furniture Row Racing in the No. 78 Chevrolet on Saturday night. Regan Smith, who previously drove the No. 78, will pilot the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet.