NASCAR WCUP: Kenseth bracing for racing at Bristol
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
August 21, 2001Matt Kenseth's thoughts on going back to Bristol:
You finished a season high 4th last weekend in Michigan. What was the key ingredient to the success? "We had the perfect car, and great stops on pit road all day. If the rain did not come, we would have had a chance to win the race. We certainly need that run to show ourselves we could come from the back and win one."
How important is qualifying at Bristol?
"Qualifying is very important at Bristol because it's the only track left on the circuit with a backstretch pit. If you don't qualify in the front you pit on the back and it's a huge disadvantage because every time you come in the pits you give away 10 spots. Qualifying well at Bristol is probably more important than any other track this year."
Were you satisfied with the test session at Bristol?
"The test went pretty good. We didn't run as well as we wanted to in qualifying trim but we were pretty decent in race trim. It was okay."
With NASCAR not allowing teams to use bump stops, is this going to throw a wrench into the setup? "I think Bristol is going to be a lot different this time around since they made a rule that we could not run bump stops and spring rubbers. You have to run a lot of spring to keep the car off the ground at Bristol without a bump stop. We are kind of starting over as far as the setup goes, but we will get to run a more conventional setup like we used to."
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser's thoughts on Bristol:
"We definitely need to qualify on the front stretch this race. We are taking car 13. It doesn't take long to go a lap down at Bristol. We tested there about two weeks ago and ran about 100 laps during the day. Hopefully that will help us out when we qualify."
Spotter Mike Calinoff’s thoughts on Bristol:
"Bristol is about as tough as it gets. You need to be watching your car and all four corners at the same time. By the time you say, 'trouble,' it could be too late. I still love the place!"
Notes of Interest:
Testing at Bristol... Kenseth and the team spent Tuesday, August 14th at Bristol Motor Speedway testing for the Sharpie 500.
Text provided by Amy Walsh
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