Engine woes put damper on Kenseth's celebration

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- When Matt Kenseth's engine expired after just 28 laps Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, crew chief Robbie Reiser just laughed.

	Matt Kenseth suffered his second DNF of the season Sunday at Homestead. Credit: Autostock

He has that luxury.

The championship trophy already on his mantle, Kenseth started the Ford 400 in 37th position, methodically working his way through traffic when the engine of his DeWalt Ford let go.

"We just broke an engine. It's the same way we ended last year, but at least it happened this race," said Kenseth, who secured the 2003 championship with a fourth-place finish last weekend at Rockingham.

Ford 400 Bobby Labonte celebrates his second win of '03. Play video Kenseth is officially crowned Winston Cup champion Play video Bill Elliott dominates, but cuts a tire on the final lap Play video Hear from the top finishers in Sunday's finale. Play video Newman and Busch get the worst of an early crash Play video  •  Results  •  Standings

"I'm disappointed. Whenever you drop out you're disappointed. It's kind of a sour note to end the season on."

Kenseth, who actually ended last season with a blown engine at Homestead, as well, said he wasn't using an overly aggressive setup despite the fact that he had already locked up the championship.

"Not really, when we came here after the test they said we had two motor combinations, and one was like five horsepower better than the other one," Kenseth said. "And they said there was no reliability issues, so we picked the best one and that's what broke."

Kenseth's misfortune marks just the second time this year he's posted a DNF. The other came last month at Talladega, also due to a blown engine.

"I guess we should have run what we've been running," he said. "It wasn't enough difference to be worth it for a reliability problem. It's a disappointing way to end. I'm just glad we missed most of it all year. My teammates had a lot of trouble and we've been able to minimize that."

Usually, Kenseth would have changed clothes, hopped on a helicopter to the airport and flown home before the race was even half over.

But not Sunday, when he was forced to wait out the event in order to attend a pre-planned post-race championship celebration.

"I guess they'll unload the backup and wait 'til the end of the race to go celebrate," Kenseth said. "It's hard to celebrate when you blew and engine 30 laps into a race, but what can we do?"

What he did was set a new precedent for celebratory burnouts.

Once Bobby Labonte took the checkered flag and drove the Interstate Batteries Chevrolet to Victory Lane, Kenseth fired up the backup and moseyed up the banking to the outside retaining wall.

He placed the nose of the car against the wall and gunned it, creating a thick plum of smoke.

"I was in there getting ready and all my guys pushed the backup car down there and were like, 'Are you gonna tear it up or do some burnouts, or melt it down or something?'" Kenseth explained.

"I was like, 'Ah, I don't think so. I think it's kind of overrated.' They said, 'You know what you should do is ... ease the nose against the wall and just do a big burnout against the wall. Nobody's ever done that.' I said, 'Well, if nobody's ever done it, I guess I'll do it.'"

	Kenseth blew an engine for the second consecutive year at Homestead. Credit: AP

All said, Kenseth won the title by 90 points over second-place Jimmie Johnson, making him the final Winston Cup champion.

"I haven't thought of my place in history yet because I hope I have a lot more to make," Kenseth said. "I haven't really looked back at it that way, but I have sure felt honored to be part of the group that have been Winston Cup champions and for our team to be part of that.

"There aren't many people that even get the chance to race at this level let alone be successful and drive for a championship team. It was a really special today when I got to do that victory lap with Richard Petty being the first Winston Cup champion in '71, I think it was, and then we're the last one.

"It's kind of an end of an era there with Winston being part of this sport. It was pretty cool to be able to put the flag up there with my name on it with all those other champions. It's a really special thing and it's pretty unbelievable."