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Motorsports

Kenseth and crew fly

A fast car and faster pit stops equal a win at UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

©Associated Press
March 3, 2003

LAS VEGAS -- A Roush Racing car came into Las Vegas as the favorite to win. One did, just not the driver the oddsmakers predicted.

Matt Kenseth, not Las Vegas native Kurt Busch, carried the banner for Roush by winning Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 and solidifying his team's dominance at the 1.5-mile desert oval.

Roush Racing cars have won four times in the track's six-year Winston Cup history.

"This is a racetrack we've only been to once a year, so I think most drivers don't have a good book on what the race track requires," car owner Jack Roush said. "I think our guys are a little better than average on the new situation, plus I figured when we got here this time that everybody would have good enough information."

Roush drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Kenseth have made it to Victory Lane, Burton in 1999 and 2000.

Kenseth, who won a Winston Cup-best five races last season, got incredible help in the pits -- his crew gave his Ford four tires in 13 seconds on the final stop -- to take a huge lead. He beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 9.104 seconds.

Kenseth's team has won the annual pit crew challenge the past two seasons.

"We just have an awesome pit crew," Kenseth said. "We had some turnover this winter, but these guys are still the world champions. The guys worked really hard to get me out of the pits and it was key to be out front."

Earnhardt's DEI teammate, Michael Waltrip finished third in a Chevrolet and took the points lead. He was followed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.

Burton was sixth and Ryan Newman came back from falling two laps down early in the race to finish seventh in a Dodge.

Only 11 cars finished on the lead lap, and the front five all were running individually at the end with huge gaps between each.

The best racing late was for sixth, seventh and eighth place, and led to contact on the last lap between Sterling Marlin and Jimmie Johnson.

The two were side-by-side when Marlin wiggled a bit coming out of Turn 4 and tapped Johnson, sending him spinning through the infield grass.

Marlin was eighth; Johnson wound up 11th, the last car on the lead lap.

"I hope it wasn't intentional," Johnson said. "I raced clean with everybody all day long and don't put a tire mark on anyone and then I get turned coming to the checkers and lose three spots. That kind of bums me out."

Busch came into his home track on an incredible roll. He won three of the final five races last year and started this season with consecutive second-place finishes to take the points lead.

But the rear of his Ford was damaged early when he banged against the wall, then the car was crumpled when he was caught in a wreck that began when Mike Skinner spun out Rusty Wallace.

OOPS: A chagrined Skinner accepted the blame for the multi-car crash that took out four cars, including Busch, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and Todd Bodine.

"I think I just got a little bit loose and hit Rusty," Skinner said. "I really apologize. I hate it. I hate it for all the other contenders who got caught up in it."

Wallace was the only driver who made the mandatory trip to the infield hospital.

"I hit pretty hard. It caved the top of my helmet in. It did its job," said Wallace, who said he had no hard feelings toward Skinner.

HAPPY DAY: Car owner Chip Ganassi kept an eye on the television and watched his IndyCar driver, Scott Dixon, win in Homestead.

As the crowd in Las Vegas grew silent for the start of the national anthem, Dixon crossed the finish line and Ganassi screamed in excitement. He then stood grinning silently through the anthem. When the song concluded, he screamed again, and said: "Now that's the way to start a day."

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