Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others have spoken wistfully about how a win changes a team’s mindset for the positive, allowing them to race pressure-free because their Chase for the Sprint Cup spot is secured.
Bristol win doesn’t change Matt Kenseth’s mindset
Although Matt Kenseth is almost certainly in the Chase thanks to a win last week, don’t expect him to be any more or less aggressive.
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
When NASCAR overhauled its Chase format and how a driver gains playoff eligibility last season, it dramatically altered how teams raced each week. With no concern about points, drivers were empowered to be bolder on the track, and crew chiefs took greater risks in terms of strategy.
After Earnhardt and Brad Keselowski each won early season races last year, they adapted a more aggressive mentality, which manifested into additional victories throughout the summer. Earnhardt is winless on the year and remarked two weeks ago how he must race conservatively as a result. Keselowski won last month and said afterward his team thrives on being able to gamble on strategy.
But despite winning for the first time in 2015 last Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Matt Kenseth says he will not be changing his approach. His plan will remain how it is every week -- focusing on getting the best possible finish, whatever that may be.
“I think that every week you show up with the idea of trying to qualify the best you can and trying to win the race,” Kenseth said Friday at Richmond International Raceway. “If you can’t win, you want to finish second. If you can’t finish second, you want to finish third. You always want to do the best you can. I’ve never been to the racetrack and not wanted to win to do my best or not wanted to finish the best I could. I just don’t feel like any of that changes.”
Besides just the Chase implications, Bristol also gave Joe Gibbs Racing its second victory of 2015, with both coming on short tracks.
Larger speedways have been an area of weakness for JGR due to a horsepower deficiency. Regularly the Chevrolet-powered teams of Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports and Ford-supported Team Penske have outperformed JGR, which is Toyota’s flagship outfit.
Kenseth is confident JGR is getting better on the faster ovals, pointing toward strong runs at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. And because he and teammate Denny Hamlin have virtually locked up Chase spots, it gives them time to experiment before the playoffs begin in September.
“I thought Atlanta, we ran better, had some decent speed,” Kenseth said. “I thought it was improving. [ACS] was really, really good -- I know that’s not a mile and a half, but it’s a big ol’, wore out, fast track. I thought we all ran really well there, qualified well and ran well and had ourselves in position.
“I feel like we’re gaining. We’ve got a lot new stuff coming here pretty soon that we think will be better — we don’t really know without testing until we get to the track and race it a few times. We hope it’s better. I felt like it’s getting better.”
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