![]() NASCAR: Matt Kenseth's two-tire call helps win Dover Sprint Cup race
Matt Kenseth’s upset victory was a matter of numbers, not just choosing a two-tire pit stop instead of four in the last moments of the Dover NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
On the last caution, at lap 363, Clint Bowyer was leading while Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards who had dominated the racing at the one mile concrete paved Dover oval. The problem was, while three top cars made longer stops for four tires, many more drivers took two tires moving the contenders further back when they came out of the pits. As Johnson, who ended up ninth, explained “I knew we were outnumbered when so many came out on two tires.”
Still Kenseth credits his crew chief Jimmy Fennig for the two-tire call. “I knew we wouldn’t win if we took four. Jimmy wanted four but as I was driving down pit road I thought maybe we could compromise. While I was on the jack I asked if he was sure we didn’t want to try two and he said to put on two. It was really Jimmy’s call and just a suggestion by me,” said Kenseth after his second Sprint Cup win of the year and 20th in his career. But Fennig said it was his driver’s call “That was all Matt there. He figured we needed to have clean air and he called two tires and we did two and away we went.” Mark Martin, who remained out on the track with worn tires, led on the final restart, on lap 367, but Kenseth overpowered Martin with ease leading the final 32 laps.
Martin, who moved up to 11th in the points with a second place, gave credit to his crew chief Lance McGrew. He said “we ran well. But we were getting ready to finish 15th again and it's been a shame because we have run that well a lot this year and finished 15th.” Marcos Ambrose had one of his best Sprint Cup finishes with a third place. “It was a great day and a really good call for two tires there at the end. I had a fast car today and we just lost a little track position. I thought I had something for ‘em but the downforce went away and I wore my front tires out. It is a big day … and a career best for this program (with Richard Petty Motorsports). I am really excited.”
Bowyer recovered from early race problem to take the lead before the final pit stop. He said “we got up and led the race. I mean, we’re really working well together. Getting a little bit of confidence. Shane (Wilson, crew chief) is getting a little bit of confidence in himself. I’m getting some more confidence in myself. Just making better decisions. Obviously, probably two tires may have won the race right there, but, when he said four and that many guys stayed out or were on two, I really thought we would be able to get back up through them, especially, as greasy and slimy as the track was on restarts. But it just didn’t.” Edwards stretched his points lead to 24 over Johnson, Kyle Busch stands third. |
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