As Chevrolet teams dominate the 2007 Nextel Cup Series, Ford driver Matt Kenseth is looking to take his second win of the season onboard his Number 17 R+L Carriers Ford Fusion. He would have a chance for his second win of the season at the upcoming Pepsi 400 which will be held at the Daytona International Speedway.
The said race is the eighteenth of the season and will officially mark the halfway point of the season and Kenseth needs a win to further strengthen his chance of making it to the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Kenseth's first win of the season came at the Auto Club 500, the second race of the season. But prior to that, Matt Kenseth finished 27th at the Daytona 500 which was held at the Daytona International Speedway, the same circuit that will host the Pepsi 400.
Kenseth said that the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400 will not be different from each other. "The races aren't a lot different, it's slicker, it's a lot hotter at the track," said Kenseth. "The harder tire that we ran in February was pretty slick as well, so handling is probably a little bit more important here, so other than that, the race is the same."
The race will also be the last time that the old template with restrictor plates will be used. Restrictor plates are devices installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power output. This is one of the numerous regulations enforced by NASCAR on all cars entering the competition.
The Ford driver said that team Childress is the one to beat at the Pepsi 400 since the team has the most efficient car when using the restrictor plates. "Probably the same guys you always look to beat at these restrictor-plate races; the Childress cars run all right. I think the Hendrick cars have been really strong lately, and Dale Junior is always strong here, so, you know, at Daytona or Talladega anybody can really get it, it all depends on how the race goes."
Kenseth also pointed out what he needs to have in his car to take his second win of the season. "I think handling will be really important unless you get a real short run at the end. You can have a car that's not real fast and handles good, and if you get enough green-flag laps you've got a chance at it, too," he said.
Kenseth with his car with components as reliable as will be battling history as his team has struggled in the past at the Daytona International Speedway. "Daytona has been very frustrating over the past couple of years, for us anyway," he said. "We've had a car good enough to win two or three races, but it seems like something always happens to take us out of contention. We thought we were in good shape with about 15 to go in the 500 this year, but things got shuffled around, and we ended up restarting eighth or ninth for the green-white-checkered finish."
Kenseth summed up his preparation for the Pepsi 400 saying: "Certainly, we realize there's a little work to do to be a contender for a win every week, like the 24 (Gordon) and some of them guys, and we're working hard at getting our cars better."
