I’m not a betting man. I got cured of that a long time ago. Back in the 8th grade, I bet Jay Munson $10 that the Los Angeles Dodgers would beat the New York Yankees in the 1978 World Series. I should have known better. Guys like Reggie Jackson and Ron Guidry were “money players.” If you know your baseball, you know I got my head handed to me. That was two weeks’ pay for chores and it wasn’t fun asking Mom for an advance.
However- as I look at a race for the chase between eight drivers for six spots up for
grabs- I see a group within a group who are money drivers, guys that proved with their Bristol performances the ability to run the race they have to run. I’m pretty doggone sure Mark Martin will make it with that Hendrick horsepower and his ability to take a good car and keep it up front. Greg Biffle has had something of a roller coaster ride, but his good races have outnumbered his bad. I’m only slightly less certain about Ryan Newman, but that has more to do with history than his present performance.
In looking what the next two races hold in store, there’s one driver about whom I have more than a hunch, though he presently sits in a precarious spot. I’m talking about 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth. “Matt the Brat” has proven a master of survival. Consider the evidence:
- Through all the change that has occurred since the inception of the Chase in 2004, Matt Kenseth has made it every year.
- Kenseth is the “Comeback Kid.” Remember last year after the spring race at Bristol? Kenseth was mired around 22nd, but without so much as a single win, Kenseth got in.
- Though I’ve ribbed him for “Eeyore Complex”, the truth is Kenseth is not one for panic or such emotional upset, he can’t focus on the task at hand.
- His team. There’s been some ups and downs as the “17″ team works with its third crew chief in as many years, but this crew has been as about as solid in putting Kenseth in a position to win as any there is out there. Sure, there’s occasional mistakes. Even Jimmie Johnson’s team drops the ball once in a while- yet at the end of the day, few, if any, are better than the “Killer Bees” in backing their driver.
Like last year, I’m not sure Kenseth is in a position to make a run for his second Cup title. This year, the likes of Stewart, Johnson and maybe even Gordon and Martin look too stout. If things break right, Kyle Busch may offer up a November surprise. Yet- at the end of the day- no one gets more out of what he’s got than Matt Kenseth.
Need further evidence? Consider Kenseth’s track record at the two upcoming tracks: Kensther has 7 top 5s and 11 top 10s at Atlanta, and at Richmond, he boasts a win, plus 3 top 5s and 9 top 10s.
He’s done it before, he’ll do it again. If I were a betting man…..
PHOTO CREDITS- “All In” by Michael Shakes. To see more, visit flickr. com, or click on the link. Matt Kenseth headshot courtesy of Sam Greenwood/ Getty Images for NASCAR.
