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For Matt Kenseth, Only Way To Go Is Up 
February 28, 2005
By Rebecca Gladden
At the end of the 2004 season, a FoxSports.com headline declared, "Luck Bank Owes Kenseth." With a disheartening 42nd place finish in this year's Daytona 500, Kenseth must be hoping that Lady Luck starts listening. Good fortune eluded Kenseth in Daytona, where engine failure sent the #17 DeWalt Ford to the garage after just 36 laps. The poor finish ended Kenseth's impressive streak of 71 consecutive weeks in the Top Ten, dating back to early 2003. Kenseth, understandably discouraged after Daytona, acknowledged the misfortune that has plagued him for months. "Our motor program is awesome, but we just seem to have bad luck right now. We blew a couple (of engines) at the end of last year. It's the best car I've ever had for the Daytona 500, and I really thought we could have been a contender." In typical understated fashion, Kenseth wrote to fans about his Daytona 500 experience in an online diary: "I was home in time to see the final 20 laps on television, which is not the view of the checkered flag I wanted." Indeed not. Still, Kenseth has reason to be hopeful. In six Cup starts at Fontana, he has two top-5 and three top-10 finishes. He has also run eight Busch races here, resulting in three wins and six top 5's. "I'm really looking forward to the races this weekend," Kenseth said after Daytona. "California is a great track for us and I expect to have good runs in both races." Coming off his 2003 Championship season, Matt Kenseth was frustrated by an eighth-place points finish in 2004. "The way we finished last year hurts more than it felt good to win the championship," Kenseth said. "The bad days feel worse than the good days feel good." Consequently, the organization made a number of personnel changes in the off season, hoping to revitalize the 17 team. Kenseth explained, "Toward the end of (last) year, we definitely did have a fall-off. That was the most disappointing part of the year, how we ended it. We had some personnel moved around and changed a bit, and I think that will help. Every once in a while, you have to mix it up and get some new blood, get everybody energized. Anything gets stale after a while, no matter what you're doing." The 17 team will need consistently good finishes and a generous sprinkling of luck to climb back into the Top Ten from 42nd place. Although his Daytona run was not what he hoped for, Matt remains hopeful about his chances in '05. "We've only got one way to go after Daytona," Kenseth told his fans. With optimism like that, can good luck be far behind?
You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.
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