Matt Kenseth
Chicagoland Advance
Matt Kenseth
1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet, Ill.
Race Schedule
Sunday, Jul. 15
NNCS: USG Sheetrock 400 -2:30 PM Eastern -TNT/MRN
FAST FACTS
Matt Kenseth will make start number 275 of his NEXTEL Cup career on Sunday in
the USG Sheetrock 400. Kenseth’s first start came at Dover International Speedway
on Sept. 20, 1998, where he filled in for Bill Elliott in the No. 94 Ford and drove to a
sixth-place finish.
Kenseth is the all-time lap leader in the NEXTEL Cup Series at Chicagoland
Speedway, leading 292 laps in six races.
Kenseth has dominated the past two races at Chicago leading a combined 288 laps
of a possible 537, or 53%. However, the finishes haven’t reflected that dominance. In
2005, Kenseth took four tires on the final stop where many teams took two and ran
out of time, finishing a close second. Last year, Kenseth was spun out while leading
the race with only four laps to go, then ran out of fuel and had to settle for 22nd.
Kenseth has completed all but one lap in six races at Chicago and is tops among
laps completed with 1604, (tied with Kevin Harvick).
According to NASCAR’s “loop data,” Kenseth leads all Cup drivers in the following
categories at Chicago:
Average Running Position of 3.4
Driver Rating of 130.0
28 Fastest Laps Run
Fastest Green Flag Speed
529 Laps in the Top 15
Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford Fusion will carry the USG Sheetrock colors this weekend in
the USG Sheetrock 400. It marks the second of three times this season Kenseth will
pilot the USG Sheetrock Ford; the first was at Martinsville in April where he finished
10th, and the last will be at Texas in November.
Matt Kenseth – NNCS Advance
Team: No. 17 USG Sheetrock/DEWALT Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis: RK-323 Last outing: Michigan, Jun. ’07, finished 42nd after a lap-75 wreck
Also: Led most laps at Chicago in Jul. ’06 before finishing 22nd
Won Michigan, Aug. ’06; Won Fontana, Feb. ‘06
RK-317 Last outing: Pocono, Jun. ’07, finished ninth
Also: Scored four top fives in ’07 including a win in Fontana, Feb. ’07
Kenseth on racing at Chicagoland Speedway:
“Chicago’s a great track and one I really enjoy racing at. It’s wide and fast, real
smooth and now that the pavement has aged, you’re starting to see a wider groove.
“We’ve had a car capable of winning the past two years but for one reason or another,
that just hasn’t happened. Some might think that it’s really frustrating, and it is, but I
also think we should be proud that we’ve had a car capable of putting us in position
to win.
“We’re taking the same car we raced there last year. It was really fast then and
hopefully it will be this time around. It’s a big race weekend for me, with my home
town not too far away (Cambridge, WI), and it’s a big race weekend for our sponsor
USG Sheetrock. They’ve sponsored this race the past two years and we’ve come
pretty close to getting them a win both times in the USG car. Hopefully we can do a
little bit better this year.”
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Chicagoland Speedway:
“We’ve been real close the past couple of years to winning at Chicago. We’ve had
good cars and Matt’s done a good job both times, but we just haven’t been able to
finish it. I think the whole team will go up there this time with a little bit of a chip on
their shoulder, but we’ve got to be sure to treat it like any other race. This sport has a
lot to do about keeping an even keel so we can’t be too focused on trying to get
redemption, we just have to go out there and do our jobs, which has always been this
team’s strength.
“The car we’re taking is the same car than ran here last year. It’s one of Matt’s
favorites. It got beat up pretty good here last year as we took the checkered flag and
then it got banged up again the last time it raced in Michigan. But, you’re supposed
to be able to rebuild these cars, and I think we’ve done a great job on this one. It
should be ready this weekend and we know how much Matt likes it, so hopefully that
will translate into good things on Sunday.”
