"Kenseth Wins"

[achebeautiful]

Yahoo! Matt Kenseth wins the second race of the season! He probably could have won at Daytona last week if Tony Stewart didn't wreck him (on purpose.) By the way, Stewart finished last today (ha ha.) Maybe this will be a great season for Kenseth!

[achebeautiful]

Kenseth: 'Justice in this world'
After trading paint and words with Tony Stewart last week, Matt Kenseth earns the victory Sunday.
By Dustin Long
The Roanoke Times

FONTANA, Calif. -- A week after his Daytona 500 disappointment, Matt Kenseth finally could smile.

In Victory Lane.

Kenseth led the final 33 laps to win Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at California Speedway and complete Roush Racing's weekend sweep. Kenseth's 11th career Cup victory soothed the anger left over from last week's season opener.

Kenseth traded sheet metal and barbs with Tony Stewart at Daytona after a couple of on-track incidents, including one that sent Kenseth spinning through the grass and into the turn-3 wall. That ended any hopes he had of winning the Daytona 500. Kenseth, who finished 15th in that race, admitted this week he still felt bitter about how Stewart had robbed him of a chance to win and had yet to talk to him about it.

And Stewart on Sunday? He finished last after his engine blew.

"There is justice in this world," Kenseth radioed his crew moments after coming from the 31st starting spot to win.

Kenseth might not have won had teammate Greg Biffle and Stewart not had problems.

Biffle led 168 of the 250 laps before his engine blew 21 laps from the finish. Stewart seemed to be about the only car that could contend with Roush's armada until his engine blew 36 laps left from the end.

"It just feels incredibly good to have everything kind of go your way," said Kenseth, who earned $324,991.

Biffle, who won a series-high six races last year, could use some of Kenseth's luck. Biffle blew a tire on the last lap of the Daytona 500 and finished 31st. Now he finds himself 38th in points after two races.

"Well, this just isn't our year I guess," Biffle radioed crew chief Doug Richert after losing a cylinder in the engine.

Kenseth wondered what kind of year this would be after his Daytona run-ins with Stewart. Kenseth was upset because he said his best chance to win the sport's biggest race was taken away because of Stewart's driving. It didn't help that Kenseth didn't hear from Stewart this week.

They talked this weekend. Kenseth wouldn't reveal what he and Stewart discussed but said that their differences are "water under the bridge.

"I think we understand each other better," Kenseth said. "Everything is going to be fine on the track. We passed each other two or three times and gave each other room just like we did every other race.''

Passing a Roush driver is something few cars did regularly Sunday. Car owner Jack Roush saw four of his five drivers place in the top 10. At one point, he held the top four spots.

Runner-up Jimmie Johnson -- still without crew chief Chan Knaus, who is serving a four-race suspension -- prevented a 1-2 Roush finish. Roush driver Carl Edwards finished third with Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton completing the top five. Roush drivers Jamie McMurray (sixth) and Mark Martin (ninth) finished in the top 10.

Kenseth's victory completed Roush's crown jewel weekend. Roush won the Craftsman Truck race with Martin on Friday and the Busch race with Biffle on Saturday. It's the first time Roush has swept all three races at the same track on the same weekend since 2001.

Not many noticed, though. California Speedway again failed to sell out the track's 92,000 seats Sunday.

Crowds or not, Kenseth is focused on what's ahead. That's Las Vegas, a 1.5-mile speedway where he's won twice and Roush Racing has won five of the previous eight races there.

"It just feels incredibly good to come to the track and have everything kind of right and all the stars align for us," Kenseth said. "Hopefully, this will carry some momentum and we'll be able to get to Victory Lane a few more times this year."