Matt Kenseth

MILD-MANNERED Matt Kenseth is spitting mad at NASCAR. The driver for Joe Gibbs Racing spoke out yesterday, the day after his team was slapped with some of the harshest penalties in NASCAR history because his race-winning car at Kansas last week failed the postrace inspection. The failure came because one of eight connecting rods in the engine was too light - by 2.7 grams, according to Kenseth, who said the rods collectively weighed more than necessary by about 2.5 grams each.

The demolition derby continued at the Daytona International Speedway yesterday as the field of the NAPA Auto Parts 300 was shredded by three pileups, including a nine-car tangle halfway through the race, and a single-car accident that sent Michael Waltrip tumbling into the infield. No drivers were seriously injured. The wreckfest came a day after driver Geoffrey Bodine escaped life-threatening injury after turning his pickup truck into a cartwheeling fireworks display during the Daytona 250 Craftsman Truck series race.

Jimmie Johnson never concerned himself with being the most popular driver in NASCAR or providing the type of controversy that would spike the sport's declining TV ratings. Maybe that's why he's been called boring, at times even robotic. But you also have to call Johnson the Nextel Cup champion - again. All Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus, worried about was performing at the highest level when it counted most, and that commitment to excellence led the No. 48 Chevrolet to its ultimate destination under the lights last night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

MID-MAY, 11 races into the lengthy Sprint Cup season, is an ideal time to assess the surprises and disappointments thus far. Topping the surprises list is Matt Kenseth. In his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth has won three of the first 11 races. That Kenseth (27 career Cup wins) is off to a blazing start with JGR isn't a total shock. However, getting up to speed with a new team sometimes takes a while. Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff have immediately clicked, winning the season's third race together at Las Vegas.

THIS WEEK'S RACE Quicken Loans 400 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Mich. When: Sunday, 1 p.m. TV/Radio: TNT/WNPV (1440-AM) Race course: 2-mile oval Race distance: 200 laps/400 miles Race forecast: chance of isolated thunderstorms, mid-80s Last year's winner: Denny Hamlin Last year's pole winner: Kurt Busch, 188.699 mph Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman, 194.232 mph (June 2005)

POINTS LEADERS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are usually as secure in their jobs as tenured college professors. Not Matt Kenseth.   Kenseth, who holds a 14-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr., will be leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of this season after 14 years. The 2003 Cup champion has 22 career Cup wins. Speculation has the two-time Daytona 500 winner moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, as a replacement for Joey Logano or in a fourth JGR car. Logano's contract expires after this season.

MID-MAY, 11 races into the lengthy Sprint Cup season, is an ideal time to assess the surprises and disappointments thus far. Topping the surprises list is Matt Kenseth. In his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth has won three of the first 11 races. That Kenseth (27 career Cup wins) is off to a blazing start with JGR isn't a total shock. However, getting up to speed with a new team sometimes takes a while. Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff have immediately clicked, winning the season's third race together at Las Vegas.

DARLINGTON, S.C. - Matt Kenseth has rarely been more pleased in victory than he was this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Maybe that's because of what he overcame to achieve the win. Kenseth has long been one of NASCAR's stars, a past champion with two Daytona 500 titles. But the 41-year-old racer has found a new gear in his first season at Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth passed JGR teammate Kyle Busch with 13 laps left Saturday night to win for the first time at Darlington and third time this season.

DARLINGTON, S.C. - Matt Kenseth has rarely been more pleased in victory than he was this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Maybe that's because of what he overcame to achieve the win. Kenseth has long been one of NASCAR's stars, a past champion with two Daytona 500 titles. But the 41-year-old racer has found a new gear in his first season at Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth passed JGR teammate Kyle Busch with 13 laps left Saturday night to win for the first time at Darlington and third time this season.

Bojangles Southern 500 Darlington Raceway Darlington, S.C. When: Saturday, 6:45 p.m. TV/Radio: FOX29/WNPV (1440-AM) Race course: 1.366-mile oval Race distance: 367 laps, 501.3 miles Race forecast: scattered thunderstorms, low 80s Last year's winner: Jimmie Johnson Last year's pole: Greg Biffle, 180.257 mph Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, 181.254 mph (May 2011) Track facts: The penalties to Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth, Gibbs and crew chief Jason Ratcliff were reduced by the National Stock Car Racing appeals panel.

MILD-MANNERED Matt Kenseth is spitting mad at NASCAR. The driver for Joe Gibbs Racing spoke out yesterday, the day after his team was slapped with some of the harshest penalties in NASCAR history because his race-winning car at Kansas last week failed the postrace inspection. The failure came because one of eight connecting rods in the engine was too light - by 2.7 grams, according to Kenseth, who said the rods collectively weighed more than necessary by about 2.5 grams each.

ANOTHER WEEK, another significant smackdown from NASCAR's justice department. Matt Kenseth's No. 20 Toyota Sprint Cup team was the latest to hear a "guilty" verdict from NASCAR. Officials determined that the engine in Kenseth's winning car at Kansas Speedway on Sunday failed inspection. Kenseth was penalized 50 points yesterday, sending him spiraling from eighth place to a tie with Jeff Gordon for 14th place. Kenseth keeps the Kansas win, but he loses the three bonus points. While he keeps the victory in the record books, he cannot use it toward claiming a wild-card spot in the Chase.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Matt Kenseth knew that he had a front-running car Sunday. It was simply a matter of getting there. So when a caution flag came out with several leaders on pit road, and Kenseth found himself leading the pack into the pits, he had a feeling things were going his way. "That was the key," he said later. Kenseth won the race off pit road after taking two tires under caution, and a No. 20 Toyota that had been strong all day slowly pulled away. Kasey Kahne trimmed into the lead once he moved into second, but Kenseth managed to block every move he tried to make.

LAS VEGAS - Matt Kenseth won on his 41st birthday for his new Joe Gibbs Racing team, barely holding off Kasey Kahne for his third victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kenseth earned his 25th career victory in just his third start in the JGR Toyota after leaving Roush Fenway Racing in the offseason. He took the lead away from Kahne out of a late restart and fended off Kahne's Chevrolet over the final laps, adding another trophy to his Las Vegas victories in 2003 and 2004.

LAS VEGAS - Matt Kenseth won on his 41st birthday for his new Joe Gibbs Racing team, barely holding off Kasey Kahne for his third victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kenseth earned his 25th career victory in just his third start in the JGR Toyota after leaving Roush Fenway Racing in the offseason. He took the lead away from Kahne out of a late restart and fended off Kahne's Chevrolet over the final laps, adding another trophy to his Las Vegas victories in 2003 and 2004.