Matt Kenseth is the only Ford driver to score a win this season. Kenseth, a former series Champion, won the first two races of the season at Daytona and California.
As luck would have it this weeks race is in California and despite starting 18th on the grid for Sunday’s race many see Kenseth as a spolier.
The reasoning is that in 15 career starts at Auto Club Speedway Kenseth has 3 career wins and an average finish of 9th. Kenseth also has 11 top 10’s at the track which is the most of any driver in the series. All this despite Kenseth has an average starting spot of 22.7.
Only Jimmie Johnson (6.2) and Carl Edwards (6.7) have a better average finish then Kenseth. Johnson and Jeff Gordon (3 wins) are the only other drivers to win at the track more then once.
After starting the season with wins in the first two events 2009 has been a tough year for Kenseth and his crew. It marked the first time since the beginning of the Chase format that the #17 car failed to make the Chase. Regardless of what happens in the remaining seven races this season will mark the first time Kenseth has finished outside of 12th in the points. Last season’s 11th place points finish ended a six year run of 10th or better.
