Bass Pro Shops 500 * Atlanta Motor Speedway * Sunday, October 26, 2003
Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 Roush Racing Ford Taurus
Sponsors: Smirnoff Ice Triple Ice
Owner: Jack Roush/Mark Martin
Driver: Matt Kenseth
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis Number: MMR-29 * This car competed earlier this year at The
Winston and Darlington in September.
Kenseth on racing at Atlanta:
"I think Atlanta is a great track and I really like racing there.
Qualifying is a lot different there than the racing is because you have
to be right on the edge to cut a good lap, but when we shift into the
race setup, it's usually a comfortable ride when you get a great
handling car. I'm looking forward to it and think we have a shot at
the win."
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Atlanta:
"We're bringing chassis 29, which has been a pretty good little car
for us this year. We handled really well in the spring and finished
top-five, so that's what we're looking for this time around."
ROUSH RACING FAST FACTS:
· Mark Martin posted a pair of eighth-place finishes at Atlanta in
2002, but finished 42nd there in the spring after early mechanical
problems.
· Martin has scored 17 top-10 and nine top-five finishes in 35
starts at Atlanta.
· Martin has won twice at Atlanta, with both wins coming in the
fall ('91 and '94).
· Martin's lone pole at Atlanta came in 1992, but he has started
in the top four in three of the last five races there.
· Martin has started inside the top 10 in Atlanta in 22 of 35
races and inside the top five 16 times.
· Matt Kenseth now has 23 top-10 finishes in 32 starts, a
league-leading statistic. He also has 10 top-five finishes.
· Kenseth's 2003 Winston Cup point lead is now 240 points over
second place Kevin Harvick with just four races to go.
· If Kenseth wins the Aaron's 500 event, his Winston-leader
bonus payout would be a record $330,000.
· Kenseth took the point lead on his last trip to Atlanta Motor
Speedway. He has held it ever since.
· Kurt Busch sits 11th in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series point
standings after 32 events, 576 points out of the fifth place and 882
points out of first.
· Busch is running his final special paint scheme of the year for
Rubbermaid Commercial Products.
· Busch is the defending champion of the event, winning the 2002
NAPA 500.
· Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig is tied for winningest active
crew chief in the Winston Cup Series with 24 wins.
· Jeff Burton has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes at
Atlanta Motor Speedway.
· Burton scored six top-10 finishes in the seven races at Atlanta
between November 1996 and March 2000.
· Jon Wood and Carl Edwards combined have five wins, three poles,
22 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series.
