Samsung / RadioShack 500, Texas Motor Speedway, 4/4/4
Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 DEWALT Ford Taurus
Owner: Jack Roush/Mark Martin
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis: #20 (Kenseth’s favorite car that has won twice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – destroyed in a practice crash at Kansas Speedway last year, but rebuilt on Kenseth’s orders)
Matt Kenseth on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
“I know going into this weekend that I’m going to get to log a bunch of laps—I’ve got a pretty full schedule with the IROC car and the Busch car and hopefully both of those programs can help me on the Nextel Cup side of things. I like Texas a lot—it’s one of the best downforce tracks that we go to. If you can get your car hooked up here, it can make for a great day—it really is a handling track as much as it is a horsepower track. And anytime you’ve won at a place before you have a pretty good feeling about things.”
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
“We’re taking Matt’s favorite car to this track. Chassis #20 is pretty legendary around our shop. For whatever reason, maybe the finishes it has, Matt likes this car over all the others. We feel pretty good about going into this weekend. I think we led about half the race last year, but got caught on pit road during a caution and had to get our lap back before we could go racing again. With the new rules, we know that won’t be a problem this year.”
Fast Facts
A Roush entry has won three times in the seven races at Texas Motor Speedway, once each with Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth.
Roush Racing has combined to win three of the six races complete on the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule, twice with Kenseth and once with Kurt Busch.
Matt Kenseth finished sixth last week at Bristol Motor Speedway. He is the only driver to post five top-ten finishes in six starts so far in 2004.
Kenseth is still the NASCAR NEXTEL point leader with a 21-point margin over second place Kurt Busch (898-877). Kenseth has led the points chase for all but five weeks since the beginning of 2003 and has spent 41 weeks inside the “NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top Ten—the longest active streak.
Kenseth has two top-ten finishes in four starts at Texas Motor Speedway, including a victory in 2002.
