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Younger Kenseth Stays Busy in Pensacola as Southern Super Series Set to Debut with Rubber & Specialties 125

By Chuck Corder

Ross Kenseth’s life is a buffet these days.

An all-you-can eat restaurant would be smart to slap a sticker somewhere on Kenseth’s No. 25 Super Late Model when the Southern Super Series debuts Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.

From the aforementioned Southern Series to PASS South to several other regional circuits, racing would be enough to fill the soon-to-be 20-year-old’s heaping plate.

Throw in wrapping up a sophomore year pursuing his mechanical engineering major at Clemson University, plus the diehard Indiana Pacers’ fan doggedly tracking their run toward the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, and Kenseth’s respite time is precious.

“It’s a little tough,� said Ross Kenseth, the son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth. “(Last) weekend we were racing at the same time the game was on. When we loaded up, I saw (the Pacers) closed out the series.�

The busy Kenseth hopes to follow in his beloved Pacers’ footsteps and close out a win during the Rubber & Specialties 125 presented by Crane Cams on Friday.

Modifieds, Sportsmen and Bombers also join the festivities as the SLMs get their first Blizzard Series taste of the famed half-mile, asphalt oval this season.

Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday; pits open at 2 p.m. Admission to the grandstands is as follows: $15, adults; $12, seniors, military and students; $5, children 6-11; and free, under-6.

There have already been three Southern Series races this year. Kenseth, quickly becoming a racing fixture in Pensacola, finished 11th at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., in his lone appearance.

“It was frustrating; we struggled most of the day in practice,� he said. “I had to miss the first test day because of classes up at Clemson. In the race, we over adjusted and almost got a lap down. At the (competition yellow) break, we got too tight. It was disappointing.�

The pill was tough to swallow for the demanding Kenseth, whose standards and expectations are higher than most, but who is also his toughest critic.

“Each week, we face a new challenge, a new setup,� he said. “But, there’s no reason why we can’t go to the track and be in contention for the win every week.�

Kenseth got his first win of the season earlier this month in South Boston, Va., a 150-lap PASS South event that was cut eight laps short because of rain.

He immediately turned heads in his Snowball Derby debut in 2009, serving notice that the Kenseth name would be a force in racing for another generation.

He qualified on the outside of Row 1, an eye-popping accomplishment, before finishing a respectable 12th.

“That was a huge weekend for me,� said Kenseth, who jumped into SLMs full-time the following year. “I wasn’t too involved yet in the Super Late Model world. To see that many quality cars and drivers down there, all the fans, it was cool.

“That’s probably been my most vivid memory so far. I’ll never forget that feeling.�

In his four Derby appearances, he has yet to finish lower than 19th, a feat dear ol’ dad can’t boast.

Matt Kenseth competed twice at short track racing’s most prestigious event, coming home 40th and 16th in 1995 and 1996, respectively.

The younger Kenseth’s best showing was a third in 2011. He had a front row, albeit unsatisfied, seat to eventual winner Chase Elliott and runner-up D.J. VanderLey’s epic duel.

Kenseth seems poised to ditch his Pensacola monkey somewhere near the pit row exit Friday night.

“There are a lot of tracks out there that give drivers a hard time,� Ross Kenseth said. “Pensacola is up and down for me. I have plenty of experiences there. Obviously, this (weekend) is not the Snowball Derby, but it’s still a very talented field. Hopefully, we can get the car dialed in and bring a pretty good piece for Friday night.�

What sweet icing on the cake it would be for the birthday boy, whose teenager years will officially be in his rearview Saturday.

To get a win on hallowed short-track ground, such as Five Flags? Well, that would just about give him a cavity.

“It would be really cool,� Kenseth said. “It’s always special to go to tracks where you haven’t won before. Every year we’ve gone down there, we’ve wanted to win the Snowball Derby. Pensacola is one place I’ve been to more than two or three times that I’ve missed my chance at getting a win. Hopefully, we’ll change that this weekend.�

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