Matt Kenseth watches chance at second title slip away
AVONDALE, Ariz. – As the green flag flew on overtime Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Matt Kenseth was two laps from winning the Can-Am 500 and clinching a berth in NASCAR’s championship race.
Then, just seconds later, Kenseth's title hopes were over.
Kenseth dove into Turn 1 on the restart, but did not realize Alex Bowman was already on the low line. He came down on Bowman’s No. 88 car, and the contact sent Kenseth spinning into the wall.
That was the difference between a first-place finish and a 21st-place finish, and Kenseth ended up missing the cut by 19 points.
“Disappointing would be to put it lightly,” Kenseth said after the race. “Five minutes before that, it looked like we had a chance to go race for a championship. And then I go (from that) to being wrecked and finishing last (on the lead lap). It was a big swing.”
Kenseth had been told he was clear by spotter Chris “Crazy” Osborne – and he was clear, at the split second those words came out of Osborne’s mouth. But Bowman took somewhat of a more direct line into the corner after getting a shot from behind by Kyle Busch, and the two made contact when Kenseth came down the track.
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“Crazy said I was clear and I just started looking at the corner,” said Kenseth, who had yet to see a replay when he spoke to reporters. “With the glare and approaching the corner, I didn't know any different until I was in the wall. I don't know if he just drove in there and hit me or I wasn’t quite clear.”
Kenseth said he “can’t blame Chris,” but Osborne blamed himself on Twitter. The veteran spotter, who missed the first part of the season while recovering from a car accident, wrote “Apologies to EVERY @mattkenseth fan out there for ending our chase hopes today! Obviously this 1's on me!!”
Bowman said he assumed Kenseth thought he was clear, because he wouldn’t have made contact on purpose. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (out with a concussion), said he “wasn’t at the best angle” and Kenseth -- or Kenseth's spotter -- may not have realized the line Bowman was taking into the corner.
“I hate it for Matt,” Bowman said. “I would have raced the hell out of him for the win, but definitely don't want to do that.”
Kenseth was stoic when speaking with reporters on pit road, leaning against the No. 20 car with his typical cool demeanor. He said the setback hurt because it had been 13 years since his last title and he was so close to racing for another one.
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Plus, the 44-year-old said, "you don’t know how many more chances you’re going to have.”
“You don't see it happen very often,” Kenseth said of his misfortune. “Guy in control of the race with a lap and a half to go ends up getting wrecked out and losing.”
Still, he seemed to be taking the heartbreak reasonably well. A reporter asked whether he was keeping all the emotions inside.
“Is there anything I can do or say right now to make it better?” Kenseth said. “The only thing I could do or say is to make things worse. I’m really just trying not to do that.”
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