Kenseth, DEWALT Team Look for Big Run at Texas

After a strong run and disappointing finish last week at Talladega, Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Team head west to Texas Motor Speedway, where they have been strong in 14 starts, including a track-leading 497 laps led. In fact in the last 10 Cup races at TMS, Kenseth's 7.8 average finish is tops at the 1.5-mile track.

Texas Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile, 334 laps, 500 miles

ABC, 3:43 p.m. EST, Prerace - 2:30 p.m.

At Texas

Starts: 14 - Wins: 1 - Top 5: 6 - Top 10: 9

First time: 4/2/00 (31) - Last time: 4/5/09 (5)

KENSETH AT TEXAS

This will be Kenseth’s 15th career Cup start at Texas Motor Speedway, where he won in 2002. His 497 laps led at Texas in Cup action are the most in track history. He is tied for the second most top-five finishes (6) and the most top-10 finishes (9) in track history. His average finish (9.7) is the second best in track history. In addition, Kenseth has two wins, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 14 Nationwide races at Texas.

LEADING THE PACK

Kenseth has led a total of 804 laps in NASCAR action at Texas Motor Speedway, 497 (track record) in Cup and 307 in Nationwide. He has led in nine of his 13 Cup races at TMS and in seven of the last eight, including 55 laps in the spring.

DYNAMIC DUO

Kenseth and Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer teamed up for a Nationwide win at Texas in April of 2007.

DOUBLE DUTY

In addition to his duties in the No. 17 DEWALT Ford, Kenseth will command the No. 16 Citi Financial Ford Fusion in Saturday’s Nationwide race. It will be his 15th start in the Nationwide Series at Texas, where he won in ‘04 and ‘07 and has finished inside the top 10 in 86 percent of his races. Kenseth started second and finished sixth in the TMS Nationwide race in the spring.

QUOTING MATT...

“Texas is a great place to race. The fans and the people at the racetrack are great and it is overall a fun place to go. The track is pretty high-banked in the corners, but it is very flat on the corner exits. The most unique part is trying to get off the corners, especially in turn two. You have to have a car that can go through the middle of the corner and the bumps very fast.”

FAST FACTS

· Kenseth has one win (2002), five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 13 races at Texas.

· Kenseth is tied for the second most top fives (6) and the most top 10’s (9) in Cup action at Texas.

· Kenseth has led in 10 of his 14 starts at Texas, and in eight of the last nine races.

· Kenseth’s 497 laps led are the most in TMS history.

· Kenseth’s average finish of 10.1 at TMS is the second best in the track’s history.

· Kenseth has led a total of 804 laps in combined NASCAR action at TMS.