FONTANA, Calif. -- Even when he took the lead late in the Nextel Cup race at California Speedway, Matt Kenseth didn't expect to win.

"I was sort of planning on running second," Kenseth said, grinning.

But the 2003 Cup champion got a gift Sunday, winning the Auto Club 500 after the stronger cars of Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart went to the garage with late-race engine failures.

"I feel bad for Greg," Kenseth said. "He was really the class of the field all day. But I feel like we had the second- or third-best car. We had a great-handling car all day."

Stewart's blown engine on Lap 214 of the 250-lap event brought out a caution flag and sent the leaders to pit road for their final stops. A great pit stop by the crew of Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Racing Ford got him out ahead of Biffle, but, until smoke began spouting out of the exhaust on Biffle's No. 16, Kenseth didn't expect to stay ahead.  More