Kenseth Rues Missed Third Spot
Former NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Matt Kenseth reckons he could have finished third instead of seventh in last night's Sony HD 500 at California Motor Speedway, but admitted he had nothing for eventual winner Kyle Busch
Busch became the youngest winner in the sports history at the event after seeing off Kenseth's charge in the closing stages. On the final pitstop, Kenseth opted to change four tyres, while Busch got out in the lead by only changing two.
Kenseth went from second to seventh in the final laps of the race, with his progress on fresher rubber not being helped by a late race caution period for a five-car crash triggered when Sterling Marlin nudged Scott Riggs into the wall.
"If it would have gone green to the end, I was making some progress and I probably would have finished third," Kenseth said. "I don't think I would have gotten Greg Biffle or Kyle, but I was getting ready to pass Brian Vickers, but my car just wasn't very good on restarts.
"I took a second-place car and finished seventh with it, so it's a little disappointing."
However Kenseth said he didn't regret making the gamble with a four-tyre change, which of the leading runners, only Tony Stewart mirrored.
"Hindsight is always 20/20, but we never, ever, ever gamble and take two and we should have took two," Kenseth added. "We would have come out of the pits first or second and I think we would have finished there."
The result means that Kenseth now rests in ninth spot in the Race for the Chase, with only this weekend's race at Richmond to go before the standings are reset ahead of the ten-driver, ten-race Chase for the Championship.
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