Matt Kenseth looking for first Phoenix win since 2002

Matt Kenseth is 8/1 to win at Phoenix on Sunday.

Matt Kenseth / No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Preview
Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway
No. 20 Dollar General Toyota News and Notes:

KENSETH BY THE NUMBERS: In 26 Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Matt Kenseth has completed 7,629 of 8,193 laps (93.1 percent) and has led for a total of 212 laps. Kenseth has earned one win, six top-five finishes, 10 top-ten finishes and one pole award at Phoenix.

JOE GIBBS RACING AT PHOENIX: Joe Gibbs Racing has 87 Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway and has earned two wins, 23 top-five, and 40 top-ten finishes. The organization has led for a total of 1,232 laps, has an average start of 13.2 and an average finish of 13.9 at the 1.0-mile track in Avondale, AZ.

DOLLAR GENERAL PARTNER SUPPORT: Dollar General would like to thank vendor partners All, Angel Soft, Betty Crocker, Bugles, Clorox, Colgate, Doritos, Energizer, Gatorade, Hamburger Helper, Hefty, Herbal Essences, Honey Nut Cheerios, M&M’s, Old Spice, Pepsi AMP Boosted, Purex, Snickers, Snuggle, Stacker 2 and Twix for their support of the DG Racing program.

RACE INFO: The Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (1.0-mile) begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 13th. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

Kenseth’s 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season Stats:
Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
3 0 0 0 0 96 6.0 23.3

Kenseth’s Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats:
Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
581 36 163 290 17 10,478 17.8 14.2

From the Cockpit:
Matt Kenseth: “With Phoenix being a shorter track, I’m not sure how big of a difference this new aero package is going to make this weekend. Phoenix is a fun race track since it’s such a different configuration than anywhere else we go, and it’s a place where passing is a little more difficult. I feel though that this package is going to help out with passing everywhere, so I’m interested to see how it all plays out this weekend. As the track surface continues to age in Phoenix, the groove moves around, the pace slows up a little bit, and I always feel that the racing just continues to get better.”

From the Pit Box:
Jason Ratcliff: “We tested at Phoenix last fall with this aero package for a Goodyear tire test out there. Unfortunately, Matt (Kenseth) wasn’t able to race out there last November, but I felt that as a group, our JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) group performed well. Phoenix has been a good track for us as an organization, but it’s funny because we seem to do really well in the fall race, but for whatever reason, the spring race tends to be a little more challenging for us. Knowing that we tested this 2016 aero package last fall, I think that it will race well at Phoenix because it’s going to put things more into the drivers’ hands. I thought there was a considerable difference going from the 2015 to the 2016 aero package at Phoenix during the test, more so than I expected. I think that this weekend at Phoenix though will be beneficial for us knowing Matt’s driving style.”

DG at the Track:
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- Joe Gibbs Racing