Matt Kenseth hopes his recent string of bad luck turns around this weekend. Credit: Autostock

Kenseth trying to have the last laugh in Miami

Former champ says he feels good about his chances on Sunday

MIAMI -- Matt Kenseth was in the process of explaining how the final race of the Nextel Cup season would be nerve-racking for each of the five drivers within striking distances of the championship.

He was explaining how the points were close enough that anything can happen when he peered down from the podium at Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition, and referred to "all the cautions we get with those big pieces of debris out there, Robin.''

	Matt Kenseth has to make up 63 points to get in front of Jimmie Johnson. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Matt Kenseth in the Chase Race Start Finish Rank Loudon 25 10 3 Dover 3 10 4 Kansas 8 23 4 Talladega 19 4 2 Charlotte 11 14 2 Martinsville 20 11 1 Atlanta 1 4 1 Texas 36 12 2 Phoenix 10 13 2 NASCAR TodayTop Chase contenders discuss the season finale at Miami NASCAR TodayKenseth talks about what his team needs to do Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

The packed room at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa broke into laughter, realizing Kenseth just slipped in another one of his dry jokes considering the criticism NASCAR has taken on debris cautions.

Kenseth had a few other zingers as well, keeping the press conference to kick off Sunday's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway from being as boring as some recent races.

"I'm not very funny,'' Kenseth said. "I'm just dry.''

No, Kenseth is funny, much funnier than anybody would imagine from the driver who has a no-frills driving style based on consistency instead of the aggressiveness that grabs headlines.

The 2003 Cup champion was downright comedic compared to points leader Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr., separated by a total of 115 points.

OK, Hamlin was funny, too.

He had perhaps the best line of the day when he said the table occupied by him and Earnhardt was the "Slim Chance Table'' because they are the least likely of the five to overtake Johnson.

He later got a big laugh when talking about a video he just saw online in which a family of Earnhardt fans videotaped from their kitchen the last lap of the October race at Talladega Superspeedway.

He brought up the tape while Johnson answered a question about his apparent drop in popularity, and how being involved in that last-lap crash while going for the lead against NASCAR's most popular driver didn't help.

"Even the toddler was ripping you,'' Hamlin said of the tape filled with enough expletives to draw half a million in fines from NASCAR.

But Kenseth, as he is on the track, was the most consistent with his humor.

Reminded for the zillionth time that NASCAR went to the Chase format after he ran away with the title with one victory in 2003, Kenseth smiled and said, "Well, I've never heard that before.''

Kenseth was so relaxed that one easily could see him overtaking the 63-point deficit to Johnson for his second title in four years. He definitely looked happier than the man nicknamed "Happy Harvick'' sitting next to him with the kind of stare boxers give in the ring.

Chase for the Nextel Cup Before Homestead (10th of 10 races) Pos. +/- Driver Behind 1. -- J. Johnson Leader 2. -- M. Kenseth -63 3. +2 K. Harvick -90 4. -- D. Hamlin -90 5. -2 Earnhardt Jr. -115 6. -- J. Gordon -167 7. -- J. Burton -225 8. +1 M. Martin -273 9. +1 K. Kahne -319 10. -2 Ky. Busch -359 • Complete standings, click here Fantasy ReportNikki Alexander and Duane Cross predict who will win in Miami Garage PassKenseth looking for a big run in Homestead Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"He's got a great personality,'' Earnhardt said of Kenseth, one of his closest driver friends. "He's just really reserved around media and large crowds and the racetrack itself. He's very focused and concentrating on the efforts in his car.

"When he's unplugged from that and on his own time he's as colorful as anyone of us here.''

Harvick agreed.

"Matt's probably one of the biggest jokesters in the garage and a smart-aleck,'' he said. "He's really fun to be around, actually.''

Kenseth hasn't been much fun to be around lately. He's been all about gloom and doom the past few weeks because his cars haven't been up to their normal standards.

He left the track so mad two weeks ago at Texas that he didn't stop for post-race interviews.

But Kenseth is as optimistic about his chances on Sunday as he was funny on Thursday. Whether it's because he's due or the company he was keeping on the podium remains to be seen.

"I'm sitting between Kevin and Jimmie, which I think Jimmie has five straight top-twos and Kevin won the championship by like 3,000 points in the Busch Series and just won last week,'' Kenseth said. "So maybe some of it is rubbing off on me and I'm feeling better about life.

"I don't know. I just feel good about the week for some reason. I don't know why. I felt bad about the last bunch of weeks and I was right, so, hopefully, I'll be right again.''

Then he can keep the season-ending banquet in New York from being another boring affair.

"I'm not funny,'' Kenseth insisted one more time. "It's just everybody's trying to be serious all the time.''