Matt Kenseth wishes his crew would have brought him down pit road one more time for fuel. Credit: Autostock

Kenseth fuming after fuel gamble turns up empty

With best car, decision to stay out for final 100 laps cost him win

DOVER, Del. -- Sarcasm dripped from Robbie Reiser's tongue as he discussed why he didn't bring Matt Kenseth in for a pit stop with 77 laps left in Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway.

Too bad he couldn't have turned that into a few drips of fuel.

Dover 400 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Jeff Burton Chevy 2. Carl Edwards Ford 3. Jeff Gordon Chevy 4. Kurt Busch Dodge 5. Greg Biffle Ford 6. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 7. Bobby Labonte Dodge 8. Clint Bowyer Chevy 9. Denny Hamlin Chevy 10. Matt Kenseth Ford • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Top finishersKenseth, Edwards, Kahne and Martin talk about Dover Final lapsKenseth falls short while Jeff Burton gets the checkered flag Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Kenseth ran out of gas with two laps remaining, costing him a chance to win the race and take the points lead.

"Oh, there's another reason why I shouldn't be a crew chief, I guess," Reiser said as a heavy rain added to his misery. "I made the wrong decision and cost this race team probably an opportunity to win a championship."

Again, sarcasm.

Kenseth still finished 10th and is third in points, 18 behind first-place Jeff Burton and 12 behind second-place Jeff Gordon. Even had he won he would have had only a small lead.

But if the Chase for the Nextel Cup does come down to a few points as it did in 2004, when Kurt Busch beat Jimmie Johnson by eight and Jeff Gordon by 16, Sunday's decision could be key.

"I just don't understand what we did there at the end," said Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion. "We gambled for fuel, but there was really no reason to gamble because we had the best car.

"Even if we had lost two or three spots, we had the car to beat, so I don't understand how we can run out of fuel."

Kenseth wasn't even aware fuel was an issue until he ran out.

"Hindsight is always 20/20, but if we were questionable on fuel, it probably would have been the right thing to come in and get tires and fuel," he said.

Chase for the Nextel Cup After Dover (2nd of 10 races) Pos. +/- Driver Behind 1. +4 Jeff Burton Leader 2. +2 Jeff Gordon -6 3. -- Matt Kenseth -18 4. -2 Denny Hamlin -18 5. -4 Kevin Harvick -54 6. -- Mark Martin -75 7. -- D. Earnhardt Jr. -102 8. +1 Jimmie Johnson -136 9. -1 Kasey Kahne -182 10. -- Kyle Busch -224 • Complete standings, click here SUPERSTORE •   2006 Chase driver hats!

Kenseth proved he had the best car when he overcame a pit problem on Lap 165 that dropped him to 19th. He moved back through the field, retaking the lead on Lap 264 and holding it until Burton passed him on Lap 394.

"I was pretty pumped up that we were able to come back and pass the whole field for the lead," Kenseth said.

He was completely deflated by running out of fuel, costing him a chance to sweep both races at Dover.

"Right now, I don't agree with it," he said of Reiser's decision not to pit. "I don't know gas. Robbie and them guys know it. We had an extra caution for a buffer and everything and still ran out, so it's pretty frustrating."

It also was frustrating for Reiser, as his sarcasm showed.

"I didn't do a very good job," he said. "Bottom line I didn't do my job again. Some day they'll realize this and get rid of me, I guess."