Kenseth, DeWalt Talladega II preview

Kenseth and DEWALT Team Bracing for Talladega

EA Sports 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Ala.
October 21, 2001

Matt Kenseth's Performance Summary at Talladega:

Date: 4/22/01
Start: 40
Finish: 19
Laps: 188/188
Money: $58,395
Status: Running

Date: 4/16/00
Start: 42
Finish: 18
Laps: 187/188
Money: $50,260
Status: Running

Date: 10/15/00
Start: 36
Finish: 10
Laps: 188/188
Money: $65,100
Status: Running

Matt Kenseth's thoughts on Talladega:

When it comes to Talladega, Matt Kenseth has a definite opinion.
"Well, I think it would be much better racing if it was not four and five wide for five hundred miles and the entire race was not like a 43 car moving parking lot."

How have the rule changes throughout the years changed the racing at Talladega?
"It used to be there was a reward to having the best car and you were penalized for not having a good car by starting and finishing in the back. Well, with the way it is now, there are no rewards for any of it. It's all about aerodynamics and drafting. It's seems now like its all by chance. Anyone can win if they are in the right place, and you can finish dead last with an awesome car. I crossed the finish line 19th and was in the lead draft last spring. I was only running half to three quarter throttle the last five laps of that race because I was boxed in."

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser's thoughts on racing at Talladega:
"We are taking car No. 17 to Talladega. NASCAR gave the Fords a break this time around with a rule change for a shorter spoiler. We have not had a chance to test that, but hopefully it will make us more competitive on these tracks. Its all about aero at Talladega."

Spotter Mike Calinoff's thoughts on Talladega:
"The spotters are really just as frustrated with restrictor plate racing as the drivers are. You've got 43 cars lined-up front to back, in rows of three at over 200 MPH. There are not a lot of choices to make. From the drivers standpoint, when they see a hole they have to make a quick decision whether or not it's going to pan out for them. We (spotters) are in a similar boat. We need to look ahead, see what's developing and give advice on whether or not a hole is going to pay off."

NOTES OF INTEREST: Testing....
Kenseth and the team are testing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 16th and 17th.

To Honor America...
DEWALT corporate has decided to honor America by bearing the American flag on the trunk lid for the remainder of the year. The crewmembers will wear hats with American Flags embroidered on the sides as well.

Guaranteed tough...
Today the DEWALT Power Tools line consists of over 200 electric power tools and over 800 accessories including: drills and hammer drills; screwdrivers; circular, chop, miter, table, reciprocating, and jig saws; planers; impact wrenches; die, angle, and bench grinders; shears; nibblers; sanders; laminate trimmers; routers, and plate joiners. This year will be an exciting time for DEWALT as it offers its largest product launch ever - even greater than the initial product line introduction.

-DeWalt-