Matt Kenseth is optimistic about Texas

Matt Kenseth, driver of the Dewalt Ford Taurus, heads into the seventh race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, sure of a strong run.

"We're gonna bring the same race car that we had at Atlanta, which is a track somewhat similar to Texas and it performed really well for us there. That gives me some confidence going in, that hopefully our car will perform there."

The Texas track was re-paved during the summer months, with cars now topping speeds of 200 mph. Kenseth says the new surface will more than likely effect two-lane racing.

"What generally happens at a track that's been re-paved, especially one that's that fast, is you are so close to running wide open you're hardly letting off the gas pedal, that the shorter way around is the bottom. And what you're going to do, is you're going to try to get underneath somebody off the corner and basically when you get under somebody if nobody's been running outside, they're gonna be scared to run out there. So they're gonna get out of the gas and pull back in behind you."

Kenseth, who is currently second in the overall standings, hadn't won a race in a year and a half, prior to the 2002 season.

"Last year we just seemed to really struggle, I think in a lot of areas. It did take a lot of last year to kind of sort through our cars and our bodies and all the stuff to try to figure out what we need to be doing."

It appears the new season has brought bigger and better things for the 2000 Raybestos Rookie of the Year. With only six events behind him, Kenseth has a win at Rockingham, four top 10s, and is a close 101 points behind leader Sterling Marlin in the title chase.

"It was a tough year and a half for not winning a race and not running good. It's important to be successful in this business and to win races. To me, it's not important to be a Winston Cup driver, it's important for me to win races."