Roush Fenway Racing’s Matt Kenseth takes the Sprint Cup point lead into Sonoma this weekend, as NASCAR heads west for its first road course test of the season. For Roush Fenway it has become a familiar place atop the standings.
“It is always nice to be leading in points I guess at this time of year,” said Kenseth, who led virtually the entire 2003 season en route to the
Sprint Cup title. “You want to be as far ahead of 10th as you can be and as we all know it gets ranked by wins in the Chase.
“We would really like to be picking up a few more wins but are happy where we are in the points. Hopefully we get a couple more wins and stay
where we are at in points and get into the Chase.”
RFR has led the standings after all but one of the 15 Sprint Cup races in 2012. Kenseth led the first week via his dramatic win in the storied
Daytona 500. RFR teammate Greg Biffle took over the lead after the third race at Las Vegas and held it until Kenseth reclaimed it at Pocono.
The race for RFR supremacy has morphed into the battle for NASCAR’s top position.
“It’s unfortunate that we gave up the points lead with a mechanical issue at Pocono,” said Biffle, who is currently third in the standings.
“Matt is going to be tough to get back in front of. He runs good here and all these places. We will see.”
Going back to last season, Roush Fenway had led the Sprint Cup point standings after 20 of the last 22 races. Carl Edwards led the standings
for the final seven races of 2011; finishing tied in points atop the standings with Tony Stewart.
Edwards currently sits at 11th in the Sprint Cup point standings; only two points outside the top 10 and the final Chase spot. The 2011
runner-up knows RFR is once again in prime condition to make a run for the championship and that it might very well be Kenseth leading the
charge.
“Everyone in the garage knows that he is a very tough competitor and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” said Edwards of Kenseth. “I would say
anytime he has a chance to win that everyone else, including myself, we look at him as a threat. He is very, very good. He seems like he has
worked on the weaknesses that he and his team have had lately. They qualify really well and he is really aggressive when they need to be. He
is really, really good right now.”
However down the stretch all three of Roush Fenway’s Cup drivers will look to make their own charge.
“We (RFR) are fast and we have a shot to win almost every weekend,” added Edwards. “I feel like we are going to be a force in this
championship. It is a good time to be a part of Roush Fenway Racing.”
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