http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/stock-cars/arca-stock-cars/ross-kenseth-working-towards-nascar/
By
Nicholas Dettmann
OREGON,
Wis. - Ross Kenseth didn’t get the result he was hoping for, but it was a major
step toward the ultimate goal: the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
And,
in another month, he’ll look to make another one, on a dirt track.
Kenseth,
the 20-year-old son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth,
finished sixth in his debut with the ARCA Series presented by Menards on Aug.
25 at Madison International Speedway. He was the fastest in qualifying and led
the first 51 laps of the race.
However,
a miscalculated adjustment may have cost him the race and that left him visibly
frustrated sitting on the pit wall afterward.
On
the race’s first caution on lap 51, Kenseth, the race leader at the time,
changed two tires, which was required for the event. Then, just before the
restart, Kenseth came back into the pits and made a track bar adjustment. He
made his car become a handful the rest of the day.
“It
was 100 percent my fault for working on the car,” Kenseth said. “We had the
best car and ran the best times. We probably could’ve come out of here with a
win, and anything short of that would have been disappointing.”
Fifteen-year-old
Kyle Benjamin won the race for his first career victory.
Kenseth
drove for Ken Schrader, who earlier this year became the series’ oldest winner
at age 57. Kenseth was sponsored by his long-time supporter, Blain’s Farm and
Fleet, a local company which is headquartered about 30 miles from the track.
Right
now, he doesn’t know if he’ll get another with the ARCA Series.
Frank
Kimmel, the nine-time series champion, believes Kenseth won’t have to wait long
for his next chance.
“I
wasn’t really around him a whole lot today,” Kimmel said. “But I’ve seen him in
his late model and he’s a smart racer, just like his dad. He’s a good racer. He’ll
be fine.
“He’s
got the right last name. I can see (NASCAR) happening someday.”
Kenseth
made his late model debut in 2007 at 151 Speedway in Columbus, Wis., which is
about 20 miles northeast of Madison. In 2008, Kenseth won his first late model
race at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells and added five more victories
that season.
In
2009, he won the Big 8 Late Model Touring Series championship, winning a
series-best five features. In 2010, he was the ASA Midwest Tour, now ARCA
Midwest Tour, Rookie of the Year. He won eight races that season in a late
model.
In
2012, he won the All-American 400 in Nashville, the Winchester 400 in Indiana
and the Red Bud 300 in Anderson, Ind. He and short-track legend Butch Miller are
the only drivers to win the Winchester 400 and the All-American 400 in
consecutive weekends.
“He’s
a great race car driver,” Kimmel said. “I think these cars have so much more
horsepower than what he’s used to. He did a hell of a job. He was one of the guys
to beat and that was what we expected. It was a pretty cool day for him, I’m
sure. Next time I’m sure he’ll do better.”
The
big event up next on the young Kenseth’s schedule is school.
Kenseth
is going into his third year at Clemson University in South Carolina, where he
is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.
In
the middle of classes and homework, the budding star plans to get dirty.
He
is signed on to compete in his first dirt race Sept. 27-28 at Chilton Speedway
in Chilton, Wis., about an hour south of Green Bay. Chilton is a quarter-mile
dirt track and it is hosting the Fall Invitational, which is an event that
expects to have about 300 cars spread across eight divisions.
Kenseth
will compete in a late model normally run by Brad “JJ” Mueller, a close friend.
“I
look forward to every race,” Kenseth said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and
something new for me.”
Mueller
is a three-time super late model track champion at Slinger Superspeedway and is
a champion in the late model division at the Plymouth Dirt Track, about an hour
north of Milwaukee. Mueller is leading the points this year as the track heads
into its final points night this weekend. It’d be Mueller’s second championship
in three years. He lost the 2012 title by one point.
“I
figure before Ross gets away from all of us and he’s down south for good, I
thought I’d be that guy to give him an opportunity to drive a dirt car,”
Mueller said Aug. 25 after Slinger’s regular Sunday night program. “I think he’s
very talented and I think he’ll do really well in the car.”
Earlier
this summer, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competed at Eldora Speedway,
a dirt track in Ohio, with the Mudsummer Classic. Austin Dillon won the race,
an event that got a lot of praise.
“I’ve
really wanted to try a dirt track for the past four or five years and when Brad
approached me with this opportunity didn’t have to think twice,” Kenseth said. “I
have wide open expectations for how the race will go, but I’m excited to give
it a shot and have some fun.”
Mueller
said it’ll be a challenge, but one Kenseth can handle.
“In
a dirt late model, you’ve got a 2,300-pound car that makes 800 horsepower,”
Mueller said. “They’re amazing. His eye balls are going to open up.
“The
first time I jumped in one, my heart like you wouldn’t believe. It’s a
completely different feel from what he drives now.”
Kenseth’s
victory at Winchester was what opened Mueller’s eyes.
“You
just don’t go to Winchester and win,” Mueller said. “That place is absolutely
amazing and fast. I raced an ARCA there back in the late ’90s and I was like, ‘Man,
I’ve never driven on anything like this in my entire life.’
“For
him to go there on his first time and win is awesome.”
Mueller
believes Kenseth has a future in auto racing because of his demeanor.
“He
holds himself real well; he’s comical,” Mueller said. “He doesn’t have any
young kid arrogance about him.”
Mueller
also admires how Matt Kenseth is bringing his son up through the ranks.
“Matt’s
making him work for it, which is more appreciative than anything,” Mueller
said. “Yes. He’s got great opportunities. But most dads would rush their kids
into a (NASCAR Nationwide) car.”
With
a full school schedule, including classes and homework, learning how to race on
dirt will have to be done on the fly.
“Besides
getting seat time and going to race track, there’s nothing I can really do,”
Kenseth said.
Mueller
will make one promise to Kenseth: “I think he’ll have an absolute ball.”
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