Go-cart preps Kenseth for Bristol

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Matt Kenseth isn't afraid of the dark, and he's sure not afraid of a little rubbin' on the racetrack.The 2003 Cup champion has won two of Bristol Motor Speedway's fall classic night races in his career, establishing himself as one of the hardest chargers on the .533-mile oval.Kenseth showed off the reflexes that have made him one of the best drivers in the world at a media function Thursday that involved him racing go-carts with assembled racing journalists."It got a little violent out there," Kenseth chuckled, having just put a few media members into the wall. "But we were only going 6 mph, so it was all in fun."The speeds -- and stakes -- will be appreciably higher when Kenseth takes his shot at Bristol for Saturday night's Sharpie 500. Qualifying is set for Friday afternoon with the Food City 250 Nationwide race set for the evening.The two night races he won at Bristol -- in 2005 and 2006 -- he started first and fourth, respectively."If your car qualifies in the top four, that's a really good thing," Kenseth said, referring to the advantage of picking a pit stall with an opening at either end of it. "Otherwise, I'd rather be 25th."Kenseth explained that if he were to qualify seventh or eighth, he'd have to pick his pit stall so early that he would not know who was pitting directly ahead or behind him."But when you pick around 25th, you can pick (the stall) around some people who have struggled a bit and might get a lap down or might not be around at the end of the night," he said. "So maybe you'll have a pit opening ahead or behind you."That, of course, leads to faster, cleaner stops and better track position.The strategy has worked for Kenseth: He has finished higher than he has started in 12 of 15 Bristol Cup starts and finished in the same position he started twice.In addition to his two wins at Bristol, the Wisconsin driver has seven top-five finishes in 17 career starts in Thunder Valley.Over the years, and through the widening and resurfacing of the high-banked track, Kenseth has adjusted."You used to have one groove out there, but now there are several grooves, so you can race a little harder all night," Kenseth said. "Everything still happens really fast, and it's still the most intense track, but now it's a little more forgiving. Before, you had the perfect storm brewing all the time."Kenseth said he'll be racing all out, as he sits 10th in the points, just 48 points ahead of 12th place chaser Denny Hamlin with three races remaining (Bristol, California and Richmond) before the Chase for the Cup begins."I get excited about coming here no matter where we are in the points," said Kenseth, who has finished in the top 10 of the season standings the past six seasons. "I just hope those guys race me cleaner Saturday night than you guys did today (at the go-kart track)."(Contact Mike Griffith at griffithm@knoxnews.com.)(Mike Griffith The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee.)