NASCAR Kenseth is dominant in points

There are several ways for him to clinch the Winston Cup points championship.
By JIM BENTON
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
Matt Kenseth has lapped about everybody in the Winston Cup standings this season.
And even though he recorded his worst finish of the season -- 33rd, after a blown engine -- Sunday at Talladega, Kenseth still is 354 points ahead of Kevin Harvick and 384 in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the standings.
Kenseth, a low-key 31-year-old, has avoided controversy, remained consistent and played it safe in turning the points chase into a race for second.
There are not many who believe Kenseth can be caught.
"As long as there is a mathematical chance it can happen, then, yeah, it can happen," Ken Schrader said. "Of course, a giant meteor could slam into the Earth or there could be snowfall in Myrtle Beach next week, too. There is a difference in things that could happen and the likelihood of something happening.
"So if the question is, 'Can he be caught?' The answer is, 'Yes'. If the question is, 'Will he be caught?' The answer is, 'Probably not.' "
Seven races remain in the Winston Cup season. Kenseth can clinch the championship if he finishes ninth or better or leads a lap in each of the seven; finishes 10th or better; or leads the most laps and finishes 12th or better.
Kenseth has led the standings for 26 weeks and has finished in the top 10 in 22 of 29 races.
"Obviously we have a pretty good point lead," Kenseth said, "and we just need to go race hard the rest of the races and we should be OK, but we can't have more stuff break."
Rocky Mountain market
NASCAR is market-driven, so the Winston Cup circuit has expanded into most major areas. But a couple of markets still aren't represented.
"Just about all that is left is the Northwest and maybe a Denver or something in that area," Kyle Petty said this week. "Of course, there is a speedway just south of Colorado Springs that could help in that area."
Petty is talking about Pikes Peak International Raceway, which headlines its season with Busch Series and Indy Racing League events and is planning to make a pitch for a Winston Cup race next spring.
PPIR president Rob Johnson said monthly advisory committee meetings are being conducted and task forces have been formed.
"It's gone better than I ever expected," Johnson said. "The plan has really become one of going to NASCAR next spring and presenting the idea that we would like to be considered for a race, addressing some of the issues and inviting them to come to Colorado for a site visit and making a more extensive presentation."
Calendar booked
The Winston Cup calendar is booked from February through November, so it would be tricky for NASCAR to add a race without taking a race from a time-honored market.
"If it was just us trying to change their mind, we'd have a difficult road," Johnson said. "There are pressures a lot bigger than Pikes Peak saying you have to move to an area like the Rocky Mountain region where there is no event from a TV standpoint and a sponsor standpoint.
"You hope that Nextel is going to put pressure on to want to get into this market; you know NBC is putting pressure on because they've already told us; and we know sponsors want to get into this market."
Companies may help
Johnson pointed to companies such as Dupont and UPS that might want to be involved in a Winston Cup race in the Rocky Mountain region.
"Companies like that have never done hospitality in this market for a race and have never been able to do anything for their customers or their own employees, so there is a lot of pressure, luckily, outside of us working on it," he said. "Our big sell is, 'We know you want to come here, we know others want to come here.' So we've got to convince them this is the right site and they don't have to wait to build something else."