NASCAR - Kenseth takes title

He didn't win many races. Actually, he won precisely one race. So how then did Matt Kenseth dominate the final Winston Cup championship to such an extent that NASCAR is considering radical changes to its points system? It was all about consistency

Dec 22, 2003, 3:04 PM

Kenseth's title was built on his uncanny ability to exploit NASCAR's points system by taking strong finishes at almost every race. It may not have been spectacular, but it was a supremely effective approach, especially given his rival's inability to find consistency.

The antithesis of Kenseth's approach was displayed by Ryan Newman. The Penske South ace stole the show in just his second Winston Cup season, taking an impressive eight victories and 11 pole positions. However, when he wasn't winning Newman tended to find trouble, and a series of large crashes prevented a title bid.

But even if the title chase wasn't exactly scintillating, the 2003 NASCAR season still provided much to entertain, with the good ol' boys usual heady mix of close racing, fender bashing, big crashes and controversy. Oh, and the odd post-race punch-up, just for good measure.