Brooklyn, Mich. – With Jeff Gordon closing in and the checkered flag in sight Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, Matt Kenseth was thinking about three races he could have won and didn’t.
“What I thought of was Las Vegas, Bristol and Chicago because we were in a position to win all three of them and I got run into twice and passed once,” said Kenseth, who held on to win the GFS Marketplace 400 for his third NASCAR Nextel Cup race of the season and the 13th of his career.
In all three of those races, Kenseth said an almost sure victory went away because he wore out his tires on the final stint and allowed other drivers to catch him.
Not this time.
Kenseth easily kept Gordon, a four-time NASCAR champion, at bay in the final laps by conscientiously taking care of his tires after his final pit stop.
“I just tried to be a little smarter at the beginning of the last run, go slower and make sure I didn’t use up the front tires,” Kenseth said. “I really was thinking about how not to lose the race.”
The finish lacked the drama of last month’s duel in Chicago, when Gordon caught Kenseth and then controversially spun him out of his way to race on by for the victory.
And although Gordon appeared to have a faster car at the end this time – he charged from 12th place on a restart with 36 laps to go in the 200-lap race – he ran out of time and finished 10 car lengths behind Kenseth’s No. 17 Roush Racing Ford.
Kenseth definitely knew Gordon was coming, though.
Exchanging radio chatter with Kenseth, crew chief Robby Reiser warned, “The 24 is coming.”
“I know he’s coming, but I’ve been taking care of the tires and we’ll be OK,” Kenseth calmly replied.
“We saved just enough,” the winner said.
“I wish we had a few more laps,” Gordon said. “I needed maybe three more and I would have been on his bumper. I would have liked to show him and everybody else I know how to pass him clean.”
Kenseth solidified his hold on second place in the Cup standings, and is now just 58 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson overcame a flat tire on the second lap of the race to finish 13th. He and Kenseth have all but clinched their spots in the 10-race Chase for the Championship with only three races remaining until the start of NASCAR’s playoffs.
Tony Stewart, the two-time and defending Cup champion, finished third, and was followed by Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle, all of whom still are fighting for spots in the Chase.
Kenseth started third and led a race-high 87 laps.
He faded toward the rear of the top 10 after taking an early lead, but eventually showed some power in a give-and-take battle with Earnhardt for the lead just past the halfway point.
He stayed on track on lap 131 when the other leaders pitted during one of the record 10 caution periods and remained on top most of the way to the end.
Nextel Cup/glance
Key to victory: After Matt Kenseth thought about three races he could have won and didn’t (Las Vegas, Bristol and Chicago) because he wore out his tires and allowed other drivers to catch him, he easily kept four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon at bay by conscientiously taking care of his tires after his final pit stop.
What you might have missed: Kurt Busch, the 2004 champion, saw his chances of getting into the top 10 fade as he had tire problems and hit the wall twice.
Back on track: Saturday, Sharpie 500, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, TNT, 5 p.m.
