Subway 500 * Martinsville Speedway * Sunday, October 19, 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: MMR-22 * This car competed earlier this year at
Martinsville and finished 22nd.
Kenseth on racing at Martinsville:
"Martinsville has never been my greatest track, especially since they
reground the surface last year. That's one of the reasons we chose to
burn a test here last week. I think we figured out some great things
regarding how the car turns in the middle and I'm anxious to see if it
will be enough to pick up our average finish here."
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Martinsville:
"We're bringing the same chassis we used here in the spring, but
it'll have a much different setup underneath it this time around. I
think [Engineer] Chip [Bolin] and I found some areas where we can
improve this car in the turns that should drastically help us out."
ROUSH RACING FAST FACTS:
Mark Martin posted three straight poles at Martinsville
beginning in the fall of 1990 and sweeping 1991.
Martin has scored four top-10 finishes, including one victory,
in his last seven races at Martinsville.
Martin's first ever Winston Cup top-five finish came at
Martinsville on Sept. 27, 1981 in the Old Dominion 500.
Martin has won twice at Martinsville, during the spring of 1992
and the spring of 2000.
Martin has finished in the top-10 in five of the last eight
races at Martinsville and seven of the last 12.
Matt Kenseth now has 23 top-10 finishes in 31 starts, a
league-leading statistic. He also has 10 top-five finishes.
Kenseth's 2003 Winston Cup point lead is now 267 points over
second place Kevin Harvick with just five races to go.
If Kenseth wins the Subway 500 event, his Winston-leader bonus
payout would be a record $320,000.
Kurt Busch sits 10th in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series point
standings after 31 events, 457 points out of the fifth place and 809
points out of first.
Busch is the defending champion of this event, winning the 2002
Old Dominion 500 after starting 36th.
Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig is tied for winningest active
crew chief in the Winston Cup Series with 24 wins.
Jeff Burton has one victory at Martinsville (Fall 1997).
In 18 races at Martinsville, Burton has eight top-five and 10
top-10 finishes.
Jon Wood and Carl Edwards will compete in Saturday's Craftsman
Truck Series race at Martinsville. Combined the two drivers have four
wins, two poles, 20 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes.
