Kenseth sees three-man battle for Chase title
By Kenseth sees three-man battle for Chase title
ATLANTA -- Matt Kenseth, who was in Atlanta this week to promote the
upcoming Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, said that even though
he's among the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, for all practical
purposes he's out of the running with five of the 10 Chase races left to
run.
"Really, there are only five cars that have a realistic shot at it," said
Kenseth, who is 11th in the standings, 360 points behind leader Jimmie
Johnson.
He said he's no longer focusing on the Chase.
"Our approach is the same as the other 38 cars - go out there and race as hard
as you can, try to finish as high in the points as you can and try to win some
races," he said.
Kenseth said that as the circuit heads to Martinsville Speedway for this week's
Tums QuikPak 500, the championship battle has become a three-driver contest
between Johnson, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle, Kenseth's teammate at Roush
Fenway Racing. Kenseth said that the race is interesting to him because of the
differences in the three drivers involved.
"They're all a lot different in their styles and what they've done," he said.
"Jeff's not going to make a mistake. Everybody thought he was slow and steady,
and then he went and won Charlotte, so that blows that.
"Jimmie can win every week. He's done it the last two years - been there and
done that.
"Greg is really fast. Nobody thought he would win New Hampshire and Dover, two
races right in a row. He's had a good run every week of the Chase. If Jimmie
has one little slip, he'll be right there."
Kenseth also paid Atlanta Motor Speedway a high compliment, comparing it to one
of his all-time favorite tracks.
"It's a lot like Rockingham except a lot bigger and faster, he said. "It's a
lot of fun for drivers. There are several grooves out there. You can pass and
look around for the groove. "It's a lot of fun."
Peach State could change hands soon
Peach State Speedway in Jefferson may soon be getting a new owner. Tony Gresham
said he and his father Jim Gresham have reached an agreement in principle to
purchase the half-mile paved oval from Florida businessman Paul Kagel. Gresham
said that if the sale is completed, he envisions running a limited schedule
focusing on races that are likely to draw high car counts and therefore attract
more paying customers.
Tony Gresham's sons Charlie and Max are racers, and Jim Gresham, a former drag
racer, now drives Thunder Roadsters at tracks such as Atlanta Motor
Speedway.
Community helps racer through loss
Dozens of members of the local racing community gathered at a funeral home in
Stockbridge this week to be with veteran dirt racer Mike Head, whose daughter,
Tammy Shedd, 41, died Oct. 11 after a battle with leukemia.
Many of those in attendance also were there 11 years ago when Head buried his
son, Michael Head Jr., who was killed during a robbery.
Rick Minter writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: rminter AT
ajc.com
