Yes, Jeff Gordon celebrated his 93rd career victory in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Yes, Gordon will compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Yes, there were tears of joy in Victory Lane for Gordon, who’s at the tail end of his last season in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
But Sunday’s race at Martinsville had so much more — most notably, ‘Matt Kenseth’s Revenge.’ Continue reading
Kevin Harvick clarified his championship status on Sunday—but not the way he had planned.
After dominating the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for most of the afternoon, Harvick ran out of fuel while leading on lap 298 of 300, handing the top spot and the victory to Matt Kenseth, who joined teammate Denny Hamlin as an automatic qualifier for the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Despite leading 216 laps on Sunday, Harvick, the defending series champion, heads to next Sunday’s Chase race at Dover almost certainly needing a victory at a track where he has never won, to escape the Challenger Round of the Chase and keep his title hopes alive.
Kenseth, who came to pit road for fuel and tires on lap 239, triumphed for the fifth time this season (tops in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), for the second time at the Magic Mile and for the 36th time in his career. He finished 8.941 seconds ahead of Hamlin, who nursed his car to a runner-up finish despite a late-race issue with the right front wheel. Continue reading
Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway on June 30, 2013
Photo – Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Pit strategy enables Matt Kenseth to Sprint Cup Series best – a fourth win
After postponing the Quaker State 400 from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, due to rain at Kentucky Speedway, Matt Kenseth and his team raced to their fourth victory of the season.
On a restart on lap 247 – 20 laps short of the race total – Kenseth took advantage of a spin by the race’s dominant #48 car with Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth took over the lead by taking no tires during his earlier pit stop on lap 242, collecting his 28th career victory. Continue reading
National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel Statement
Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 The Home Depot/Husky Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on April 21, 2013
Photo – Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
Another élite organization is facing major penalties Wednesday. The Associated Press first reported that Matt Kenseth’s engine from his winning car at Kansas did not pass NASCAR‘s standards at the Research and Development Center.
The AP reported early Wednesday that one connecting rod did not meet minimum weight. Joe Gibbs Racing gets their engines from Toyota Racing Development out of Costa Mesa, California. Joe Gibbs Racing does not make their own engines. The part that failed inspection at the R&D Center may not have given Kenseth any advantage on Sunday when he won in Kansas. But NASCAR will still hold the 20 team responsible for the failed part. Continue reading