|
Matt Kenseth held of rookie Kasey Kahne by .010
seconds to win the Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway. The
race ranked as the fourth-closest in NASCAR history. “I was
doing everything I could. Kasey almost got me in one and two
one time. I didn't know whether to protect the bottom or the
top, so I tried to protect the middle and get a good run off the
corner and not overdrive the corner. The last lap, I had been
loose off of four and I got up as high as I could to get a run
down off the corner as good as I could and he got a good charge
on me there. It was a close one.” Kenseth said.
With just one win last season, the media has been
all over Kenseth about his 2003 championship season. The team
came out charging and led a race-high 259 laps and dominated the
entire race. “Some people have said we can't lead laps and we
can't win races, we just go finish seventh every week. So it was
awesome to go out and do it.” Kenseth said.
Rookie Kahne, who replaced Bill Elliott this
season, put on a heck of a showing and almost came off with the
win. “I wasn't sure who won. It was too close and went by too
fast. It was just fun to run second.” Kahne said.
The race got heated up after a caution flag came
out with 42 laps to go. Several cars were on pit road with the
flag came out, Kenseth was one of the cars involved. During the
confusion Kenseth stayed in the lead and Kahne was placed in
second. Jamie McMurray's team quickly protested the call to
deaf ears, NASCAR ears that is. At the end of the race,
McMurray still didn’t understand the decision. “I asked a lot
of questions under caution and I still don't understand it. But
I could care less about those guys getting disqualified. It
would be no fun winning on Monday.” McMurray said.
“Stevie Wonder could see what happened, we won
the race. NASCAR has never changed the outcome of a race ever
and they won't change this one, but they know we won it.”
Sabates said.
On the final restart, Mark Martin was told to
come to the NASCAR hauler after the race. It looked like NASCAR
thought he was blocking for him teammate, Kenseth. “When you
double-file restart these things and you put the lap-down cars
on the inside for the sake of a show, things like that happen.”
Mark continued to say, “I'm just disappointed because I think
that the people in this sport know that I have a lot of
integrity. I watched it on the tape and I didn't see anything.
I'm a big fan of these guys. I'm a big fan of Jamie McMurray.
I don't care who wins that race. I wanted to win the race. I
was racing and I wasn't in anybody's way. I never got in
anybody's way.” Clearly NASCAR was wrong on this one also.
On lap 211, Dale Jarrett’s good run came to and
end. A puff of smoke came out of the car and he went behind the
wall. “Something happened to the engine. I came off of turn
two and it quit running. It's unfortunate. We had a great race
car, but things like that are gonna happen. It's part of it.
If you're gonna be in this business, things are gonna happen
like that and you just have to forget about it and move on to
the next race.” Jarrett said.
Other notes:
NASCAR president Mike Helton told drivers on
Sunday to cease the cursing that has popped up in recent
interviews. “When being interviewed, please understand you are
talking to an audience from 8 to 80. You have a greater
responsibility than we've ever had before.” This also goes for
radio transmissions that can be heard with scanners and the
internet. |
