Matt Kenseth is one of five Jack Roush drivers in the Chase. Credit: Autostock

Kenseth doesn't foresee ownership limitations

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Matt Kenseth doesn't get worked up about very much, so it stands to figure that NASCAR's proposal to limit the number of teams one owner can field in the Nextel Cup Series isn't on his radar screen.

"I can't really see it becoming a reality," Kenseth said. "They already have rules where you can only have so many teams. There's always ways to shuffle paper and all that."

	Brian France is looking to make NASCAR even more competitive. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
	ALSO NASCAR CEO Brian France wants a limit on the number of cars one team can have, and hopes to have a plan in place within a few years.  •   Complete story, click here For teams like Cal Wells III of PPI Motorsports and Bill Davis (Racing), NASCAR's proposal is a step toward financial and competitive balance.  •   Complete story, click here

Even without the shuffling, Kenseth doesn't know how it could happen.

"I don't know how you say, 'OK, you've got five drivers under contract for another four years, five sponsors that are under contract for three years, you've got 300 employees, you've got two buildings and all this stuff and, by the way, you need to get rid of one,''' Kenseth said.

'''You've got to fire a driver you have under contract, you've got to get rid of a $15 million sponsor just because we said you couldn't have that team, you've got to give it to somebody else. You've got to fire 30 people that are all supporting their families. And by the way, your building's too big.'

"How do you do that? I mean, we are living in America, so I don't really see that being a reality," he said.

NASCAR chairman Brian France said last month at Kansas that the sanctioning body plans to put a cap on multicar teams, citing a need to level the playing field.

"We're going to make some adjustments in policy to balance the playing field a little better and really go after new ownership in the industry, really benefit and help the teams like the Wood Brothers, the Pettys, Cal Wells, independent teams that are finding themselves in ever-increasing difficulties to compete," France said at the time.

"We don't like the fact that the independent teams, or in particular a new owner looking at coming in the door, have a daunting task to compete, and the concept of having to have five teams, three teams ... that's why you haven't seen a lot of new ownership like a Ray Evernham come into the sport," France also said.

Kenseth believes there may be a different motivation.

"I think [NASCAR] wants to make sure [the teams] don't get any bigger," Kenseth said. "And I think they're probably a little worried about some of the other manufacturers coming in and how they do things.

However, that's not to say that NASCAR will ever drop the issue, Kenseth said.

"I think they're going to keep a close eye on it, but I don't really see how they can cut down what we've had built up, what Roush has built up and what [Rick] Hendrick has done and people like that."