MOORESVILLE, NC :: Ross Kenseth, son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth, is entering the Snowball Derby for the fifth time in his career hoping to score the victory in Super Late Model racing’s most prestigious race. Kenseth enters the race having won three races in the 2013 season.
“This is my fifth Snowball Derby,” Kenseth said. “Going down there, expectation wise, it’s kind of wide open. They’re the best of the best in the short track world. Our goals are to set fast time and win the race. It’s a big challenge. It’s a race of attrition like the PASS races. I think going to the PASS Series is not going to hurt anything.”
Kenseth scored four victories in 2013. Three of those victories came in the PASS Super Late Model Series. Kenseth swept the PASS South tour races at South Boston Speedway and scored a PASS National victory at Autodrome Chaudière north of the border in Quebec. His other victory came in the ARCA-CRA Super Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Indiana. While he was satisfied with his four victories, Kenseth wanted more in 2013.
“You always want more,” Kenseth remarked. “You can’t meet all your goals which are to win every race. I learned a lot as a driver. We weren’t very consistent throughout the year. We had a streak where we couldn’t get the right way. After Milwaukee, we got it turned around.”
One of Kenseth’s victories at South Boston Speedway came on Mother’s Day Weekend in a wild, rain-shortened race at South Boston Speedway. The race was in progress despite a persistent mist over the historic Halifax County facility and Kenseth worked his way up to the lead with only a handful of laps remaining. The mist turned in to a steady rainfall and the race was called, securing the win for Ross Kenseth. As this was going on, the elder Kenseth was competing in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Shortly after Ross’ victory at South Boston, Matt Kenseth would go on to win at Darlington in one of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing’s most prestigious events.
“It was cool,” Kenseth stated. “The PASS race was challenging with the rain and coming though the field. It was a fun race. Every car was slipping, sliding around, beating and banging. To come away with the win was exciting for me. It was nice to win both races there and my dad winning on the same night was really cool.”
Kenseth also spoke about what it meant to have his father, who happens to be an elite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, as a mentor.
“It helps having someone who’s been through the ringer,” Kenseth explained. “I think short track racing now is quite a bit different. Now you go to these races and you’ve got 15-20 guys you have to compete with. The Derby this weekend shows that you have 45-50 guys with prestigious careers already. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Along with competing in Super Late Model races in 2013, the younger Kenseth also made his ARCA Racing Series debut in the Herr’s Live Life with Flavor 200 at Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin, a track that Matt Kenseth won a championship at in 1994 and where Ross’ grandfather, Roy, worked as a promoter.
Kenseth’s future plans will be announced shortly after the Snowball Derby. He says he plans to race a lot in 2014.
