NASCAR: Second Place Hard To Swallow For Matt Kenseth
A winless Matt Kenseth deals with a second place NASCAR finish at Watkins Glen after winner Martin Truex Jr. wins on fuel mileage.
When the race weekend began at Watkins Glen, Matt Kenseth entered with a 17-point cushion over 17th place Clint Bowyer. The driver of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has not won a race this season, and hasn’t won since Loudon in June of 2016. A win would punch his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Already on the bubble, Kenseth needs a win to ensure his chance at a second title. Kenseth has already been informed by Joe Gibbs Racing that he will not return to the team in 2018. So wins and consistent runs are needed to show team owners that the 2003 champion still has it.
The 45-year-old Cambridge, Wisconsin native isn’t getting any younger, but he is still more than capable of competing for wins. Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen showed just that. As the race wound down at the I Love New York 355 at the Glen, fuel strategy and conservation was the name of the game.
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At lap 77, race leader Martin Truex Jr. would let Brad Keselowski by on instruction from Cole Pearn. Six laps later, he would let Ryan Blaney by as well. That would prove to be genius as Truex Jr. saved fuel while Keselowski pitted on lap 87. Blaney would run out of fuel a lap later. With two laps left, Truex Jr. regained the lead, but he kept an eye on the mirror for Kenseth.
Despite giving his best effort, Kenseth would only get within a car length of Truex Jr. off of turn seven, the final corner of Watkins Glen International. Truex Jr. won his fourth race of the season while Kenseth would take home second, his top finish of the season.
Post-Race
“I felt like we had a top-five car,” Kenseth said. “Obviously, we had good fortune there at the end with our track position and our fuel mileage and all that to stay in it and have a shot at it, but man, when it’s that close and you see him saving and you’re saving and then you go after him there on that last lap, it’s disappointing not to get it.”
Kenseth would also have this to say on Twitter after the race.
Solid day for #JGR and @ToyotaRacing. Although I wanted that one BAD, I'm happy to see @MartinTruex_Jr finally win something.
— Matt Kenseth (@mattkenseth) August 6, 2017
Typical Matt Kenseth dry humor.
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