Kenseth hoping to stay hot in N.H.

LOUDON, N.H. — Matt Kenseth certainly has figured out New Hampshire Motor Speedway since making the move in 2013 to Joe Gibbs Racing. Winless in 26 career starts at the track driving for Jack Roush, Kenseth has three wins at New Hampshire since 2013 and has won the past two races here.

“This used to be probably one of my worst tracks on the circuit, honestly, and now it seems like it’s been one of our best. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be this week, but it has been in recent past,” Kenseth said.

Teammate Carl Edwards joked before a qualifying session Friday for the Sprint Cup Series race today at the track that he would like to steal some tips from Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff and try to earn his own win at the track.

Edwards then turned the fastest lap and won the pole; Kenseth starts eighth. Edwards won the pole for the third time in the past four New Hampshire races, his sixth pole of the season, but has failed to end the race the same way he started — in first.

The 16-driver Chase field will be cut to 12 after next week’s race at Dover International Speedway. Kenseth is seventh in the standings after one race and has the kind of resume that would suggest he can survive to the next round even without a victory over the next two races.

But last season’s stunning knockout of Jimmie Johnson at Dover is a reminder that win-and-in beats hoping for the best. Johnson entered Dover fifth in the standings and, with 10 career wins at Dover, seemed a lock to advance. His No. 48 Chevrolet was forced off the track for 36 laps with a torn rear axle seal and he was eliminated from contention.

Kenseth, with 38 career wins, knows time is of the essence for another title shot, but said he had no immediate plans to follow fellow 40something NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart into retirement.

“I haven’t put a ton of thought into it,” Kenseth said. “I realize there are more years of racing behind me then there are in front of me. But I feel great, I feel like we’re running good. I’m having a lot of fun. I don’t have any plans to quit in the near future.”