SCENEDAILY - JUNE 18, 2007 - BY LEE MONTGOMERY - ASSOCIATE EDITOR
MARC SEROTA / GETTY IMAGESOnly Jeff Gordon has more top-10 finishes this year. Only Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have more top-fives. And only Gordon and Johnson have more victories. So why doesn't Matt Kenseth get any love?
That's a question that's been asked ever since Kenseth entered the Nextel Cup Series. All the guy does is run in the top 10, but when it comes time to talk about the top drivers and teams, Kenseth and his Roush Fenway Racing team don't seem to get the recognition.
And it's not just the media. Keep an eye on Kenseth during any race weekend, and when you see him walk out of the garage to his motorhome, he's alone.
Fans don't bother him, either because they don't recognize him or because they're looking for someone else.
Is he the Rodney Dangerfield of NASCAR? Maybe. But that's fine with him.
"If you're asking about our team being consistent or not getting the recognition that maybe some of the other teams, I think it's been like that for us for whatever reason," Kenseth said when asked about the topic on a national teleconference with media this week. "I don't really know why."
So while other drivers hog the spotlight - deservedly or not - Kenseth stays in the background.
"It's not like I shy away from being out there," Kenseth said. "Some guys obviously like to see themselves on TV more than others, but I definitely don't shy away from it, either."
Kenseth is the consummate professional, answering every question and making every appearance. Rarely does he find himself in controversy, but even when he does - as at Chicago last year with Jeff Gordon - Kenseth doesn't avoid touchy subjects.
His low-key personality might mask his competitive nature, but it's also a blessing.
"I think being the underdog and not having all the attention in the past has been an advantage for us, and I think it still is," Kenseth said. "Sometimes I think when it's not just the driver, but the team and everybody gets a ton of media all the time and a ton of coverage, I think expectations go up, and it puts more pressure on the guys and takes away a little focus from what we're trying to do.
"So certainly when we can just work on race cars and concentrate on that, I think it's an advantage."
And when Kenseth uses words such as "we" and "us," he truly means it. Several times this year and last, Kenseth's No. 17 Ford wasn't the best car on the track or even a top-10 car. But through strategy, solid pit stops and timely adjustments, when the checkered flag falls, Kenseth is in the top 10 or better.
That is what has helped him to one victory, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 2007. He's second in the Nextel Cup point standings.
"You always hope to be doing a little bit better, but certainly our car [rep has been great," Kenseth said. "The car has been really reliabl,e and we've
been able to complete every lap so far. We've had great pit stops, and overall our cars have been pretty competitive.
"Certainly we haven't been at the spot where the 24 [of Gordon], the 48 [of Johnson] and even the 11 [of Denny Hamlin] and some of those guys have been from a competition standpoint, but we've been really consistent, and I think our cars are getting better as the season goes on.
"So I feel really good about where we're at. Obviously we're in a nice position in the points and halfway through on the way to the Chase [For The Nextel Cup], I feel pretty comfortable about where we are in the points, and we're just working really hard to get our cars better for the end of the year when it really counts."
And if no one notices, that's fine with him.
MARC SEROTA / GETTY IMAGESOnly Jeff Gordon has more top-10 finishes this year. Only Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have more top-fives. And only Gordon and Johnson have more victories. So why doesn't Matt Kenseth get any love?
That's a question that's been asked ever since Kenseth entered the Nextel Cup Series. All the guy does is run in the top 10, but when it comes time to talk about the top drivers and teams, Kenseth and his Roush Fenway Racing team don't seem to get the recognition.
And it's not just the media. Keep an eye on Kenseth during any race weekend, and when you see him walk out of the garage to his motorhome, he's alone.
Fans don't bother him, either because they don't recognize him or because they're looking for someone else.
Is he the Rodney Dangerfield of NASCAR? Maybe. But that's fine with him.
"If you're asking about our team being consistent or not getting the recognition that maybe some of the other teams, I think it's been like that for us for whatever reason," Kenseth said when asked about the topic on a national teleconference with media this week. "I don't really know why."
So while other drivers hog the spotlight - deservedly or not - Kenseth stays in the background.
"It's not like I shy away from being out there," Kenseth said. "Some guys obviously like to see themselves on TV more than others, but I definitely don't shy away from it, either."
Kenseth is the consummate professional, answering every question and making every appearance. Rarely does he find himself in controversy, but even when he does - as at Chicago last year with Jeff Gordon - Kenseth doesn't avoid touchy subjects.
His low-key personality might mask his competitive nature, but it's also a blessing.
"I think being the underdog and not having all the attention in the past has been an advantage for us, and I think it still is," Kenseth said. "Sometimes I think when it's not just the driver, but the team and everybody gets a ton of media all the time and a ton of coverage, I think expectations go up, and it puts more pressure on the guys and takes away a little focus from what we're trying to do.
"So certainly when we can just work on race cars and concentrate on that, I think it's an advantage."
And when Kenseth uses words such as "we" and "us," he truly means it. Several times this year and last, Kenseth's No. 17 Ford wasn't the best car on the track or even a top-10 car. But through strategy, solid pit stops and timely adjustments, when the checkered flag falls, Kenseth is in the top 10 or better.
That is what has helped him to one victory, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 2007. He's second in the Nextel Cup point standings.
"You always hope to be doing a little bit better, but certainly our car [rep has been great," Kenseth said. "The car has been really reliabl,e and we've
been able to complete every lap so far. We've had great pit stops, and overall our cars have been pretty competitive.
"Certainly we haven't been at the spot where the 24 [of Gordon], the 48 [of Johnson] and even the 11 [of Denny Hamlin] and some of those guys have been from a competition standpoint, but we've been really consistent, and I think our cars are getting better as the season goes on.
"So I feel really good about where we're at. Obviously we're in a nice position in the points and halfway through on the way to the Chase [For The Nextel Cup], I feel pretty comfortable about where we are in the points, and we're just working really hard to get our cars better for the end of the year when it really counts."
And if no one notices, that's fine with him.