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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 12, 2002
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Kenseth won his fifth Winston Cup race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway, and the reaction was much the same as the previous four.
"Where'd he come from?"
The sight of Kenseth's No. 17 Ford at the front in later stages should be familiar by now. But the mild-mannered driver from Wisconsin rarely powers past cars. Having the fastest pit crew in Winston Cup makes Kenseth a winner.
The crew defended its title at the pit crew competition Nov. 2 at Rockingham, then strutted its stuff in two crucial stops in Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500.
The first test came early, when Kenseth ran out of fuel on Lap 122 of 312 but stayed on the lead lap at the flat, 1-mile track thanks to a blistering four-tire stop.
"I didn't have a tachometer reading to get on pit road and I was scared of speeding, so I slowed up extra getting there," said Kenseth, whose engine shut off in Turn 2. "By the time I got to my pit, we were real slow. We stayed on the lead lap because we had a really fast, four-tire stop. They did a good job of getting fuel in the fuel cell right away and in the carburetor and getting it cranked up."
On the final stop, under caution, crew chief Robbie Reiser called for a two-tire change to gain track position. After entering third, Kenseth came out first. Rusty Wallace went into the pits second and also changed two tires, but Kenseth's crew was faster. Kenseth pulled away on the restart with 48 to go and led the rest of the way for his series-high fifth victory.
Wallace was second.
"I had a great-handling race car, but when you got behind people you still had to really, really work hard to get by them," Kenseth said. "It does help to be in front."
LESS REALLY IS MORE: For proof that consistency is the key to winning Winston Cup championships, look at Roush Racing teammates Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin. Each driver's victory total is inversely proportionate to his place in the standings.
Kenseth has two more wins than any other driver in the series but is eighth in points because of 10 finishes of 30th or worse. Busch has three wins and ranks third. Martin has one victory and is the only driver with a chance to overtake Tony Stewart in the season's final race, trailing by 89 points.
MAKING A POINT: Surely, Roush Racing will appeal the 25-point penalty NASCAR issued to Martin after the No. 6 Ford failed post-race inspection at Rockingham for an unapproved spring.
What's the harm?
The spring, short of the minimum 41/2 coils by an eighth, came from a NASCAR-approved manufacturer, was not altered and provided no competitive advantage, Martin said. The penalty was consistent with those levied against teams who tried to slip things past NASCAR's inspectors.
Roush, who believes he twice has lost NASCAR titles because of unfair penalties, is so livid he cannot think straight. He has no hope that NASCAR will overturn its decision, calling it a "kangaroo court." He's probably right.
But an appeal would lay the groundwork for a potential lawsuit against the manufacturer, as yet unnamed, and serve as a show of support for Martin and his team.
SOUND ADVICE: Four-time champion Jeff Gordon knows what Stewart is going through this week as his quest to win the title comes down to the final race. Staying focused is critical.
"This week, if I were Tony, I wouldn't open up a newspaper; I wouldn't watch TV," Gordon said. "I'd go away and maybe spend some time with my team and pump them up. And I'd just go to Homestead and run my race."
Hmmm, sounds like Stewart's regular routine.