Matt Kenseth wins marathon race at Chicagoland

JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15, 2013 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images)
JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 15:  Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15, 2013 in Joliet, Illinois.  (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images)
JOLIET, IL – SEPTEMBER 15: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15, 2013 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images)

Matt Kenseth fired the first shot in the Chase Sunday night. Kenseth came into NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup seeded in the top spot and showed why Sunday night winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in a marathon affair that took ten hours to complete thanks to Mother Nature.

After leading early but dropping back due to pit strategy, Kenseth rallied back and overpowered Kyle Busch on a restart with 24 laps to go and held on for his series leading sixth win of the season.

Kyle Busch was second, Kevin Harvick third, Kurt Busch fourth with Jimmie Johnson fifth.  Two of those in the Chase, Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr., ended the night in the garage with blown engines. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.