Auto racing: Kenseth, Stewart to square off at MIS
By Tamira Surprenant
Tony Stewart and Cambridge native Matt Kenseth will take a break from their regular NASCAR Nextel Cup grind and join area short-track racers Tuesday night in the All-Star Challenge at Madison International Speedway.
Stewart, the defending Cup series champion and title winner in 2002, knows he'll have his hands full with 2003 Cup Series champ Kenseth, who has a history of success on Wisconsin short tracks.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Stewart said Friday in an interview with The Sporting News in Sonoma, Calif., where he was preparing for a Nextel Cup race. "I'm sure Matt's going to kick my butt up there because he's run a lot of laps around that place."
Kenseth claimed track titles at MIS in 1994 and Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna in 1994 and 1995.
Even after becoming a Nextel Cup star, he has regularly returned to Wisconsin to race, claiming a Miller Lite Nationals victory at the quarter-mile Slinger Super Speedway in 2002, as well as feature wins on the half-mile at MIS in 2003 and 2004.
In his most recent trip to Wisconsin, at Kaukauna last June, he was plagued by engine trouble and placed sixth in an All-Star Challenge race.
Stewart and Kenseth first became acquainted on the ARTGO Series, where at 17 Kenseth became the youngest driver ever to win a race on the circuit.
"And I remember how good he was because I remember when they said, 'Leader's coming,' and that was him when he went by," Stewart said. "I remember picking up about two-tenths a lap at the track we were at that night just following Matt around."
Ticket sales have been brisk for the race, with about 7,000 sold in advance. Roy Kenseth, who is promoting the All-Star Challenge event that will feature his son, anticipates equally strong walk-up sales on race day.
In addition, officials have issued over 50 media credentials to cover the race at the track located between Oregon and Stoughton. A television crew from ESPN and a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will be in attendance.
Roy Kenseth said he's been pleasantly surprised with fans' reactions and ticket sales.
"I knew that they would respond good but I didn't anticipate this much," Roy Kenseth said. "Matt kind of said a funny thing to me. He said, 'Dad, it's because Tony's coming.' And I reminded him that in 2003 (with just Matt Kenseth present) we brought 13,000 people to MIS and were turning people away. It is a combination of both champions coming back.
"Part of it is that I do want to promote short-track racing and Tony Stewart does, too, now that he bought a short track. And he's returning a favor to Matt for Matt going out to his place."
Stewart owns Eldora Speedway, a half-mile clay oval in Rossburg, Ohio, and Matt Kenseth made an appearance at the track last season.
"We took him up to Eldora last year and he enjoyed the dirt," Stewart said. "We kicked his butt last year on the dirt so I'm sure it's revenge time."
Stewart is no stranger to the Madison area. An inductee into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Stewart has appeared at the one-third mile clay oval in recent years to honor new members to the Hall. A successful open-wheel racer before jumping to stock cars, Stewart raced to a ninth-place finish at a midgets event at Angell Park in 2002.
Meanwhile, Roy Kenseth said that he gets satisfaction in bringing star power to the short tracks. He added that Matt and Stewart never forget where they came from and sincerely respect the talents of local drivers.
"Matt enjoys racing the short tracks," Roy Kenseth said. "That's one thing he requires when he comes back is that he has a competitive car because he wants to show the local guys that he's as good as them. Not better, but to come back and run with them and show them that he is as good as the guys racing around here."
Tony Stewart and Cambridge native Matt Kenseth will take a break from their regular NASCAR Nextel Cup grind and join area short-track racers Tuesday night in the All-Star Challenge at Madison International Speedway.
Stewart, the defending Cup series champion and title winner in 2002, knows he'll have his hands full with 2003 Cup Series champ Kenseth, who has a history of success on Wisconsin short tracks.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Stewart said Friday in an interview with The Sporting News in Sonoma, Calif., where he was preparing for a Nextel Cup race. "I'm sure Matt's going to kick my butt up there because he's run a lot of laps around that place."
Kenseth claimed track titles at MIS in 1994 and Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna in 1994 and 1995.
Even after becoming a Nextel Cup star, he has regularly returned to Wisconsin to race, claiming a Miller Lite Nationals victory at the quarter-mile Slinger Super Speedway in 2002, as well as feature wins on the half-mile at MIS in 2003 and 2004.
In his most recent trip to Wisconsin, at Kaukauna last June, he was plagued by engine trouble and placed sixth in an All-Star Challenge race.
Stewart and Kenseth first became acquainted on the ARTGO Series, where at 17 Kenseth became the youngest driver ever to win a race on the circuit.
"And I remember how good he was because I remember when they said, 'Leader's coming,' and that was him when he went by," Stewart said. "I remember picking up about two-tenths a lap at the track we were at that night just following Matt around."
Ticket sales have been brisk for the race, with about 7,000 sold in advance. Roy Kenseth, who is promoting the All-Star Challenge event that will feature his son, anticipates equally strong walk-up sales on race day.
In addition, officials have issued over 50 media credentials to cover the race at the track located between Oregon and Stoughton. A television crew from ESPN and a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will be in attendance.
Roy Kenseth said he's been pleasantly surprised with fans' reactions and ticket sales.
"I knew that they would respond good but I didn't anticipate this much," Roy Kenseth said. "Matt kind of said a funny thing to me. He said, 'Dad, it's because Tony's coming.' And I reminded him that in 2003 (with just Matt Kenseth present) we brought 13,000 people to MIS and were turning people away. It is a combination of both champions coming back.
"Part of it is that I do want to promote short-track racing and Tony Stewart does, too, now that he bought a short track. And he's returning a favor to Matt for Matt going out to his place."
Stewart owns Eldora Speedway, a half-mile clay oval in Rossburg, Ohio, and Matt Kenseth made an appearance at the track last season.
"We took him up to Eldora last year and he enjoyed the dirt," Stewart said. "We kicked his butt last year on the dirt so I'm sure it's revenge time."
Stewart is no stranger to the Madison area. An inductee into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Stewart has appeared at the one-third mile clay oval in recent years to honor new members to the Hall. A successful open-wheel racer before jumping to stock cars, Stewart raced to a ninth-place finish at a midgets event at Angell Park in 2002.
Meanwhile, Roy Kenseth said that he gets satisfaction in bringing star power to the short tracks. He added that Matt and Stewart never forget where they came from and sincerely respect the talents of local drivers.
"Matt enjoys racing the short tracks," Roy Kenseth said. "That's one thing he requires when he comes back is that he has a competitive car because he wants to show the local guys that he's as good as them. Not better, but to come back and run with them and show them that he is as good as the guys racing around here."
posted by at 6/26/2006 08:49:00 PM
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