AVONDALE, Ariz. — Jimmie Johnson built his seven-point advantage with a dominating performance last Sunday at Texas, where he scored the maximum 48 points to fourth-place finisher Kenseth’s 41.
Though Kenseth would prefer to be the Chase leader, he’s not one to worry about it.
“I don’t sit and worry about the next race track coming up, because worrying is just a waste of energy, a waste of time,” Kenseth said. “Certainly, I try to be as prepared as I can when we come to the track … try to look at what you’ve done in the past, what you can do better coming back and try to improve on the things you did good, try to improve on the things you did bad and try to be better at that.
“Kind of go over a plan for what we’re looking for, what we want to accomplish, that type of thing. I wouldn’t say ‘worry’ is the right word. I haven’t worried at all, really. Just trying to be as prepared as we can and as ready as we can when we get here.”
Kenseth has reason for optimism. In his first open-motor event with Joe Gibbs Racing, on March 3 at Phoenix, Kenseth finished seventh, his best result at the one-mile track since 2010.
“We had a good run here in the spring,” Kenseth said. “It was my first race with the team, really, besides plate racing. We had a really competitive car, and we’ve been good at these kinds of tracks.
“I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
HELPING OUR HEROES
With a donation of $50,000, NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France and wife Amy France helped raise nearly $1 million in support of the families of military service men and women wounded in action.
The Frances attended the “Stand Up For Heroes” benefit Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, an event presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival to raise money for post-9/11 service members and their families.
“Brian and I were honored to make this donation to support our military servicemen and women and their families, who make incredible sacrifices each and every day to help protect our nation,” Amy France said.
Renowned musicians Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters performed at the benefit, as did iconic comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby.
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.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
