DARLINGTON, SC (May 12, 2012) – Racing at historic Darlington Raceway is all about endurance, racing the racetrack, and making smart moves for position. Saturday night, Roush Fenway’s Matt Kenseth and his No. 17 Zest team, fought all race long to earn a solid sixth-place finish despite loose-handling conditions throughout the evening.

 

KENSETH FINISHES THIRD AT TALLADEGA, LEADING THE WAY FOR ROUSH FENWAY

TALLADEGA, AL (May 6, 2012) – The last time Matt Kenseth and his No. 17 Best Buy team were at a superspeedway this season, they claimed the win in their Gatorade Duel race as well as the DAYTONA 500. The team was looking forward to heading to Talladega based on the results from the start of the season, but also aware of the possibilities of how quickly wrecks can catch up with teams having successful days. Kenseth started from the tenth starting position and after leading the most laps, left Talladega with a third-place finish thanks to a strong car and a display of skillful driving.

Kenseth’s Best Buy Ford showcased its strength as it finished second and third on the speed charts during Friday’s practice sessions. Kenseth rolled off the starting grid Sunday from tenth, and within the opening laps after the green flag, he was pushing the No. 14 to the front of the pack. The duo was out front as the first caution of the day came on lap 16 after the No. 78 spun.

 

KENSETH AND TEAM FIGHT BACK TO EARN FOURTH-PLACE FINISH AT KANSAS

KANSAS CITY, KS (April 22, 2012) – After battling handling issues earlier in the weekend with their No. 17 Ford, Matt Kenseth and his Ford EcoBoost team made changes prior to Sunday’s race that allowed them to earn their third consecutive top-five finish. Kenseth finished fourth after starting the race from 18th and lead the way for the Roush Fenway organization.

The field took the green flag at 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway at 12:19pm CST as Kenseth started 18th. Within the opening 20 laps, Kenseth drove his Ford EcoBoost Fusion up to 12th and took the opportunity to report in to crew chief Jimmy Fennig about the car’s handling. Kenseth told his team that the No. 17 machine was getting tight across the center of the turns, was also tight on the gas, and needed more front grip.

The first round of green-flag pit stops began to cycle through the field around lap 44 and Fennig called his driver in for service on lap 46 for four tires, fuel, and air adjustments. The first caution of the afternoon came shortly after the cycle on lap 52 after the No. 15 spun coming off of Turn 4. Since the No. 17 had just pitted six laps earlier, Fennig opted to stay out and Kenseth restarted 10th.