Ford 400 * Homestead-Miami Speedway * Sunday, November 16, 2003
Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 Roush Racing Ford Taurus
Sponsors: DEWALT
Owner: Jack Roush/Mark Martin
Driver: Matt Kenseth
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis Number: The No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford will be bringing chassis #
27 & 29 to Homestead. Chassis 27 raced at both Poconos and Chassis 29
raced at the Winston, Darlington and Atlanta's second event. The team
will make a final decision Wednesday evening.
Kenseth on racing at Homestead:
"I'm looking forward to going down there and racing on the new
configuration. After locking up the title last week, I feel like we can
really relax a little bit. I'm running the Busch car this weekend and
hoping those extra laps will also
pay off for me once the Cup cars get
on the track. From what I hear, the track is going to be a lot of fun
to race on."
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Homestead:
"It's a brand new track for everybody so we're all starting on
equal ground. We've got two great chassis that we're bringing down
there and whichever one performs the best for us and adjusts to the
changes will be the one we use come Sunday."
ROUSH RACING FAST FACTS:
Mark Martin has finished in the top four in three of his four WC
races at Homestead (75 percent), making him and teammate Jeff Burton the
only two drivers to post three top-five finishes at the track.
Martin finished fourth in the inaugural race at Homestead in
'99 and fourth there last year.
Martin ran six races at Homestead in the Busch series, finishing
inside the top five on five occasions (83 percent).
Combined, Martin has run 10 NASCAR races at Homestead, finishing
inside the top five eight times, inside the top four six times and
inside the top three four times.
Martin finished second at Homestead in his last Busch race in
2000 for his highest finish at the track.
Martin's 8.25 average finish at Homestead is the second best
at the track.
Matt Kenseth clinched the Winston Cup Championship with a fourth
place finish at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham this past Sunday.
He becomes the 26th Champion in the last 53 years.
Kenseth now has 25 top-10 finishes in 35 starts, a
league-leading statistic. He also has 11 top-five finishes.
If Kenseth wins the Ford 400 event, his Winston leader bonus
payout would be a record $360,000.
Kurt Busch sits 10th in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series point
standings after 35 events, 102 points out of eighth place.
Busch is the defending champion of the Ford 400 and the
Budweiser Pole from 2002.
Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig is tied for winningest active
crew chief in the Winston Cup Series with 24 wins.
Jeff Burton has three top-five finishes in just four starts at
Homestead.
Burton has completed 100% of his total laps run at Homestead.
Burton is one of only seven drivers to score four top-10
finishes at Homestead-Miami.
Jon Wood and Carl Edwards will compete in Friday's season
finale NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Combined the two drivers
have five wins, three poles, 23 top-five and 34 top-10 finishes.
