Kenseth, Capps Perfect for Team Valvoline -- 4 Races, 4 Wins
Team Valvoline drivers Matt Kenseth and Ron Capps have a perfect start to the 2009 season -- each winning the first two races of the year. Kenseth followed last week's Daytona 500 victory with a win Sunday at the Auto Club 500 Sprint Cup event in Fontana, Calif. Capps captured the Funny Car title Sunday near Phoenix, giving him victories in the first two NHRA national-event races of the season. Needless to say, it's been an incredible turnaround for the two drivers, who both went winless in 2008.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Team Valvoline driver Matt Kenseth led 84 laps, including the final 38 to edge Jeff Gordon for the NASCAR Sprint Cup victory Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
It was the second straight win for Kenseth, who captured the Daytona 500 opener last week. He is the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win the first two races of the season. The last driver to win the first two Cup events of the season was Gordon in 1997.
With 38 laps remaining, Kenseth beat Gordon out of the pits, thanks to a quick stop by the No. 17 Killer Bees pit crew. Once in the lead, Kenseth never looked back in his Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion. He went on to claim his 18th career Cup win and the third career Cup victory at Auto Club Speedway.
"It's such a great team," said Kenseth, who didn't win a Cup race last year. "I just thank these guys. They gave me a great stop and got me in clean air and that made a huge difference."
Kenseth's win gave Team Valvoline three top-10 finishes. Greg Biffle finished fourth while Carl Edwards was seventh.
Following Kenseth to the checkered flag to round out the top five were: Gordon, Kyle Busch, Biffle, and Kurt Busch.
After two of the 36 Sprint Cup point races, Team Valvoline has four drivers in the top-10 in points -- Kenseth is first, Biffle fifth, David Ragan eighth and Edwards ninth.
NHRA Full Throttle Series
After a dry spell of one-and-a-half years without an NHRA victory, Team Valvoline driver Ron Capps has turned red hot, winning his second straight national event race by taking the Funny Car title in Sunday's Arizona Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz.
Capps, who won the season opener two weeks ago in Pomona, Calif., is solidly in first place in the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car point standings. The Arizona victory lifted his career total to 27 national event wins (26 in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel).
The humble Capps, who drives the NAPA Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing, was quick to credit his crew chief and legendary Funny Car driver Ed "The Ace" McCulloch.
"He's the man," said Capps, who won The Arizona race from the pole. "He's done well in his career, driven Funny Cars, Top Fuel dragsters. He's my hero. I can't tell you how I feel right now. More than anything [this win is great] for the NAPA guys and for Ace. He really worked hard in the off season and kind of started from scratch with the tune-up."
Capps made his best run in the final round against Mike Neff, who broke during the burnout. Capps' time and speed in the 1,000-foot race was 4.079 seconds at 304.46 miles per your.
Along with Capps' win, Team Valvoline had an impressive record in Arizona with five semifinal finishes -- Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon in Top Fuel; Del Worsham and Tim Wilkerson in Funny Car; and Ron Krisher in Pro Stock.
Jack Beckman, driving the Valvoline Dodge, was eliminated in the quarterfinal round.
The Pro winners were: Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Capps (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock).
Team Valvoline NASCAR Results -- Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series & Camping World Series
Auto Club 500
Sprint Cup
Feb. 22
Auto Club Speedway
Fontana, Calif.
(starting position in parenthesis)
AJ Allmendinger, No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 29th (8th)
Point Standing: 13th
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 4th (5th)
Point Standing: 5th
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 7th (25th)
Point Standing: 9th
Robby Gordon, No. 7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota Camry
Finished: 30th (12th)
Point Standing: 33rd
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 12th (22nd)
Point Standing: 23rd
Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 1st (24th)
Point Standing: 1st
Travis Kvapil, No. 28 Yates Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 18th (37th)
Point Standing: 31st
Bobby Labonte, No. 96 Yates Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 20th (16th)
Point Standing: 22nd
Jamie McMurray, No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 16th (3rd)
Point Standing: 28th
David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 17th (13th)
Point Standing: 8th
Elliott Sadler, No. 19 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 25th (20th)
Point Standing: 11th
Reed Sorenson, No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger
Finished: 21st (17th)
Point Standing: 14th
Next NASCAR Sprint Cup Event
March 1
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Saturday, Feb. 21
Auto Club Speedway
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 34th (5th)
Point Standing: 10th
Carl Edwards, No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 4th (1st)
Point Standing: 2nd
David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Finished: 5th (8th)
Point Standing: 5th
Next NASCAR Nationwide Race
Feb. 28
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Feb. 21
Auto Club Speedway
Colin Braun, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford 150
Finished: 20th (6th)
Point Standing: 12th
Next Camping World Truck Race
March 7
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Ga.
NHRA Full Throttle Series
Feb. 22
NHRA Arizona Nationals
Chandler, Ariz.
Top Fuel:
Larry Dixon, Alan Johnson Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 6th
Cory McClenathan, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in First Round
Point Standing: 9th
Tony Schumacher, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 4th
Funny Car
Jack Beckman, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 7th
Ron Capps, Don Schumacher Racing
Won Event (second straight)
Point Standing: 1st
Matt Hagen, Don Schumacher Racing
Lost in Quarterfinal Round
Point Standing: 10th
Tim Wilkerson, Team Wilkerson Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 11th
Del Worsham, Alan Johnson Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 2nd
Pro Stock
Ron Krisher, Krisher Racing
Lost in Semifinal Round
Point Standing: 8th
Next NHRA Event
March 15
Gatornationals
Gainesville, Fla.
