Monster often has gobbled up Kenseth's title hopes

Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only two drivers to have qualified for all five Chase fields since the new scoring format was introduced in 2004. But while Johnson has gone on to win the title in each of the last two seasons, Kenseth -- who won the last "classic" championship in 2003 -- has finished no better than runner-up.

And Dover has played a huge factor in Kenseth's inability to add a second title to his resume. With the exception of last week's 40th-place finish, Kenseth has come out of New Hampshire with a top-10 finish, only to suffer misfortune at the Monster Mile.

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The 2004 MBNA America 400 was the first -- and perhaps strangest -- example.

After finishing second at Loudon and sitting fourth in the points, Kenseth qualified a solid eighth and immediately went to the front, taking the lead from Ryan Newman on Lap 33 and holding it for 58 of the next 60 laps. But on Lap 120, Kenseth made an error that he called "the dumbest thing I've ever done in a racecar."

Thinking he had a tire going down, Kenseth tried to make a quick move for the pits under green. What happened next was almost unfathomable.

"I was out on the track and kind of at the last minute decided to pit," Kenseth said. "I was on the brakes plenty early and when I got on the apron it was real sandy. I should have known that because that other car blew up and it was still pretty slick down there and nobody's pit under green yet.

"I just lost control of it and it wouldn't stop."

Kenseth slammed into a tire barrier, causing major damage to the front end of the No. 17 Ford. Having to be towed to the garage, he could only sit and watch as his crew worked frantically to get the car repaired. He was able to return, but finished 81 laps down in 32nd place.

Tires were the trouble in the 2005 MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 400. Coming off a third-place finish at New Hampshire, Kenseth started 11th and was running among the leaders for much of the early portion of the race before a cut left-rear tire forced him to pit under green on Lap 217.

Kenseth then battled back from one lap down only to see his rally cut short when he had a tire go down on Lap 367. Hard contact with Dover's concrete wall in Turn 1 left the No. 17 Ford 35th. (Continued)